In an 11-page order, Superior Court Judge Michael Anello reduced the award to $8.25 million, finding that the punitive damages awarded to the six female plaintiffs were “grossly excessive” and were the result of the jury’s “passion and prejudice.”

The order, released Monday, came three months after a San Diego jury granted what is believed to be the largest punitive damages award for a sexual harassment case in California, and among the top three in the United States.