in fact, he ruled in favor of oil companies just a little more often than he ruled against them. lawyers who know judge hughes tell cnn he's fair and tough, but environmental attorneys say even the request by bp to have this judge sit on the bench is, quote, outrageous and unseemly. abbie boudreau, cnn, atlanta. >> consolidating hundreds of lawsuits under a single judge is not unusual, especially in a case this massive. lawyers for toyota made the same request in lawsuits involving faulty gas pedals, bp's specific request to have their case filed under judge hughes puts a new spin on it. jeffrey toobin, is it unusual for a company like bp to actually name the judge they want? >> no, not at all. it is not surprising they want this case not in new orleans which is, of course, so emotionally affected by what's