Dominion's $1.6B Defamation Lawsuit Against Fox News Going to Trial

[Dude#1279435]

If the amount is unreasonable, I would expect the eventual settlement will be for less.

Feels like they're high balling.

 

[Mr._Clark]

Dominion still has several defamation lawsuits pending.

>>>Dominion Voting Systems still has pending lawsuits against right-wing networks Newsmax and OAN, as well as against Trump allies Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Mike Lindell.<<<

https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/fox-news-dominion-trial-04-18-23/h_8d51e3ae2714edaa0dace837305d03b8

Here's a link to the docket in the Powell case:

US DOMINION, INC. v. POWELL, 1:21-cv-00040 - CourtListener.com

Docket for US DOMINION, INC. v. POWELL, 1:21-cv-00040 — Brought to you by Free Law Project, a non-profit dedicated to creating high quality open legal information.

www.courtlistener.com

Spoiler alert: It's pretty dull stuff.

 

[highfigh]

There is no "both sides" argument to be made here. Since all news media are run by human beings, there will be some inherent bias in their reporting. That can't - and never could - be helped. But, when Fox talking heads decided to deliberately defame Dominion, they gave up any pretense to being a member of MSM.

You're being pretty generous by calling all of the people running news media 'human beings', IMO.

 

[highfigh]

Hell all news these days is based on some weird hoodie doodie reporting by puppet masters.


OH take and fire Lemon as well, hell fire all news people on all networks and just start over.

Maybe they can get rid of all human-ish news personalities and use the same kind of computer-generated voices that are on WikiVids on YouTube.

If that happens, I'll never watch news again.

 

[Swerd]

I'd like to know how defamation equals $2.7 billion?

Not arguing the law suit but the amount. Similar to the Alex Jones law suit it feels like highway robbery.

I often say that I defend your right to have opinions like these – and to voice them – even if I disagree with them. That's what free speech is about.

At the same time, I'll also say how troubled I am by your ability to complain about the dollar amount of the lawsuits, as if you're overlooking how serious it was for Faux News or Alex Jones to repeatedly lie about the plaintiffs. For both, their reasons for repeating the lies was for monetary gain at great harm to the plaintiffs. I don't have any problem with those large dollar amounts because they both had no qualms about making obscene profits over someone else's loss. The law hasn't made actions such as these a criminal violation, and neither does the law assign a fixed value for civil lawsuits. That's entirely up to the judge and jury. That's also what free speech is about.

Free speech comes with limitations … there's a cost if you overstep the limits. Faux News and Alex Jones have now discovered those limits. Jones has pushed those limits, dodging payments to the injured parties. To me, that makes it clear that committing harm with malice was right up there with greed as his motives. If he continues to hide his assets and avoid paying the plaintiffs, I hope to see increasing fines and punishment for him. Alex Jones is an undefendable scoundrel. Apparently, All you can say is that you worry that the plaintiffs are making too much money.

 

[Dude#1279435]

I often say that I defend your right to have opinions like these – and to voice them – even if I disagree with them. That's what free speech is about.

At the same time, I'll also say how troubled I am by your ability to complain about the dollar amount of the lawsuits, as if you're overlooking how serious it was for Faux News or Alex Jones to repeatedly lie about the plaintiffs. For both, their reasons for repeating the lies was for monetary gain at great harm to the plaintiffs. I don't have any problem with those large dollar amounts because they both had no qualms about making obscene profits over someone else's loss. The law hasn't made actions such as these a criminal violation, and neither does the law assign a fixed value for civil lawsuits. That's entirely up to the judge and jury. That's also what free speech is about.

Free speech comes with limitations … there's a cost if you overstep the limits. Faux News and Alex Jones have now discovered those limits. Jones has pushed those limits, dodging payments to the injured parties. To me, that makes it clear that committing harm with malice was right up there with greed as his motives. If he continues to hide his assets and avoid paying the plaintiffs, I hope to see increasing fines and punishment for him. Alex Jones is an undefendable scoundrel. Apparently, all you can say is that you worry that the plaintiffs are making too much money.

$50 million to a family against Jones??? A liiiiiittle excessive I think. Jones has assets in excess of $1 billion???

 

[Mr._Clark]

I would hope the legal system is based on fixed pay with lawyers etc and what dominium and smartmatic are doing is based on the loss of projected profits.

Same with the Alex Jones case. If defamation effected the families due to loss of employment and relocation, but a billion dollars ....

The cynical side of me says it's so someone can buy another mansion.

To some extent you're comparing apples to oranges.

Damages typically come in two flavors: compensatory and punitive.

The plaintiffs in the Dominion and Smartmatic cases are corporations, whereas the plaintiffs in the Alex Jones cases were individuals. Damages are a fact question that is decided by the jury (unless its a bench trial). Individuals can be awarded compensatory damages for emotional pain and suffering, whereas businesses are generally limited to business losses. Of course, punitive damages above and beyond compensatory damages may also be awarded.

The amount of damages are almost always a major issue in civil lawsuits.

Putting a dollar amount on pain and suffering is highly subjective and it's extremely difficult to predict what a jury will do. Jones basically acted like a complete *asswipe (in my opinion) during the trials and he decided to go to the juries rather than settle. Reportedly, the highest amount awarded to any one plaintiff was $120 million. Someone could say that they think this is too high or too low, but the jury decides.

Business losses (damages) tend to be somewhat more predictable than pain and suffering in the sense that there tends to be more of an upper limit based on the size of the plaintiff's business. But, putting a dollar amount on damages to business reputation, etc. may still be difficult, and juries can go high. Fox apparently decided there was significant risk that the jury would award would be much more than the settlement amount. If Fox thought the case for damages was weak they could have gone to trial.

The damages listed in the original complaint may have little to do with the damages awarded by a jury or provided in a settlement. The facts have not been fully developed at this stage, but the plaintiff needs to list something. I believe one of the juries actually went above the amount one of the plaintiffs asked for in one of the Alex Jones lawsuits.

 

[highfigh]

People are saying Fox caved- seems to me that they saved the corporation close to half a billion dollars.

 

[Dude#1279435]

People are saying Fox caved- seems to me that they saved the corporation close to half a billion dollars.

Over that.

 

[Swerd]

$50 million to a family against Jones??? A liiiiiittle excessive I think. Jones has assets in excess of $1 billion???

You've made your opinions clear … you favor that *asswipe Jones and his efforts to profit from vicious slander.

Now I can say my unvarnished opinion, without hesitation. Alex Jones deserves to be run out of business at the very least, not to mention tarring & feathering. Prison is on the table, depending on his future compliance with lawsuit awards.

And Faux News got off too easy, but that was only Round 1.

 

[highfigh]

You've made your opinions clear … you favor that *asswipe Jones and his efforts to profit from vicious slander.

Now I can say my unvarnished opinion, without hesitation. Alex Jones deserves to be run out of business at the very least, not to mention tarring & feathering. Prison is on the table, depending on his future compliance with lawsuit awards.

And Faux News got off too easy, but that was only Round 1.

Maybe they could tape his arms to his sides and roll him down a hill. I'd pay to see that.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Uh no. I'm talking about the amount.

In that case, I think all those parents want the amount he made off of his defamations and claims, pain and suffering, and the loss of life the kids would have had.
he should also be bankrupted into poverty.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I'd like to know how defamation equals $2.7 billion?

In that case, how much business have they lost, will lose in the future then the defamation, and everything else including legal fees.
Oh, how about punishment?

 

[mtrycrafts]

Feels like they're high balling.

Isn't that way in most transactions?

 

[mtrycrafts]

You're being pretty generous by calling all of the people running news media 'human beings', IMO.

You mean there are barking dogs someplace in those outlets?

 

[Trell]

Yet another example of someone carrying water for some rich dude facing well deserved consequences for his actions. Not any empathy for the victims either.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Maybe they could tape his arms to his sides and roll him down a hill. I'd pay to see that.

How much?
Which hill?

 

[Dude#1279435]

In that case, I think all those parents want the amount he made off of his defamations and claims, pain and suffering, and the loss of life the kids would have had.
he should also be bankrupted into poverty.

Wanting what he made off defamation and wanting his entire wealth are different.

 

[Dude#1279435]

You've made your opinions clear … you favor that *asswipe Jones and his efforts to profit from vicious slander.

Now I can say my unvarnished opinion, without hesitation. Alex Jones deserves to be run out of business at the very least, not to mention tarring & feathering. Prison is on the table, depending on his future compliance with lawsuit awards.

And Faux News got off too easy, but that was only Round 1.

I don't favor Jones, but I dont favor writing a blank check to the defendants either.

 

[Dude#1279435]

Seems to me you take steps to shut down Infowars and any other of Jones' political adventures, but not taking the defendants every last dime. Yeah he's gotta feel it, but a billion dollars well that's like saying he's a corporation. Either he's also a real estate mogul, or what they're asking in payment isn't realistic. After a while it starts feeling like wealth redistribution for the sake of wealth.