Court Orders White Supremacists to Pay Millions for Deadly 2017 Charlottesville Rally

[Social Media]

 

In a significant legal development seven years after the violent Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a federal appeals court has reinstated more than $2 million in punitive damages against white nationalist leaders and organizations. These individuals and groups were implicated in the physical and emotional injuries suffered by people at the event. The decision brought the total amount that a jury ordered to be paid to more than $26 million, most of which was intended as punitive damages.

 

Initially, a jury had ordered $24 million in punitive damages, but a lower court judge later slashed this amount to $350,000 to be shared by eight plaintiffs. However, on Monday, the Richmond-based Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals restored more than $2 million in punitive damages. The court found that each of the plaintiffs should receive $350,000, instead of the $43,750 each would have received under the lower court’s ruling.

 

A three-judge panel at the Fourth Circuit affirmed the jury’s award of $2 million in compensatory damages, but it found that a state law imposing the $350,000 cap on punitive damages should be applied per person instead of for all eight plaintiffs, as the lower court judge had ruled. The ruling stems from a federal lawsuit against two dozen white nationalists and organizations that participated in the two days of demonstrations in Charlottesville to protest against the city’s plan to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

 

The events of the second day of the rally escalated dramatically when, after the Unite the Right rally had been declared an unlawful assembly, James Alex Fields Jr., a white supremacist from Maumee, Ohio, intentionally drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters. This attack resulted in the death of one woman and injuries to dozens more. Fields, who was one of the defendants in the civil case, is currently serving a life sentence for murder and hate crimes.

 

The Fourth Circuit panel rejected a request from the defendants to ask Virginia’s Supreme Court to rule on whether each plaintiff could receive $350,000 in punitive damages. The court stated that the state law’s language and history were “clear enough to predict how Virginia’s high court would rule.”

 

“Over two years ago, the jury used its $24 million punitive damages award to send an unmistakable message to the defendants and to the public about the outrageous misconduct that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia. While the law compels us to reduce the award, it’s long past time for that message to be delivered,” wrote the court’s chief judge, Albert Diaz, in the unanimous 3-0 ruling.

 

Attorneys for the plaintiffs expressed their satisfaction with the court’s decision. “Today’s decision restores over $2 million in punitive damages from the jury’s verdict, which sent a clear message against racist and antisemitic hate and violence,” attorneys Roberta Kaplan, David E. Mills, and Gabrielle E. Tenzer said in a statement.

 

The defendants' lawyers did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The original verdict from the 2021 trial was seen as a significant rebuke to the white nationalist movement. It particularly targeted the two dozen individuals and organizations accused in the federal lawsuit of orchestrating violence against Black people, Jewish people, and others in a meticulously planned conspiracy.

 

This ruling underscores the judiciary's stance against hate-fueled violence and reaffirms the legal repercussions for those who orchestrate and perpetrate such acts. The reinstatement of significant punitive damages serves not only as a form of justice for the victims but also as a stern warning to any groups contemplating similar actions in the future.

 

Credit: The Guardian 2024-07-04

 

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[Tug]

Good tho lite in my estimation only 2 million but then again remember general mark Kelley's face palm when the felon said his good people on both sides that face palm was priceless!

[impulse]

I wonder when BLM is going to be held responsible for the mostly peaceful town burnings that cost upwards of $2 Billion in damages?

 

I'm not holding my breath.  But that may change in January 2025.

 

[thaipo7]

6 hours ago, Tug said:

Good tho lite in my estimation only 2 million but then again remember general mark Kelley's face palm when the felon said his good people on both sides that face palm was priceless!

I am no fan of white extremist or any group that riots, burns, harms policemen.  BLM and Antifa with their burning, rioting, destruction of buildings, including government buildings do not see the same justice.  Two tier justice in the US.  Remember the Summer of Love?  Billions in damages, anyone held accountable?

[thaibeachlovers]

Good luck collecting the loot. I doubt there were many millionaires among the protesters.

Edited July 4 by thaibeachlovers

[impulse]

7 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Good luck collecting the loot. I doubt there were many millionaires among the protesters.

 

I doubt that collecting any money was the objective.  They just want to put the fear of God into anyone who protests on the other side. 

 

BLM, whose riots caused 10x as much damage and mayhem get off scot free, because they rioted "protested" on the correct side.

 

Thaipo7 called it...  Dual system of justice.  Anyone who doesn't see that is either blind or complicit.

 

Edited July 4 by impulse

[Purdey]

I was waiting for someone to say what about this or what about that, like "what about black lives matter?" What about all the KKK lynches?

Different courts, different judgements I guess.

[rice555]

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

I was waiting for someone to say what about this or what about that, like "what about black lives matter?" What about all the KKK lynches?

Different courts, different judgements I guess.

First, it's "lynchings", and they were in the Democrats run South.

[candide]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

I doubt that collecting any money was the objective.  They just want to put the fear of God into anyone who protests on the other side. 

 

BLM, whose riots caused 10x as much damage and mayhem get off scot free, because they rioted "protested" on the correct side.

 

Thaipo7 called it...  Dual system of justice.  Anyone who doesn't see that is either blind or complicit.

 

False equivalences and conspiracy theories, as usual...

Edited July 4 by candide

[impulse]

10 minutes ago, candide said:

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Thaipo7 called it...  Dual system of justice.  Anyone who doesn't see that is either blind or complicit.

False equivalences and conspiracy theories, as usual...

 

Where did you buy your Braille keyboard?  Or are you complicit?

[candide]

It's funny to see right-wingers who have been keen to condemn anti-semitism recently, are now trying to downplay offenses committed by white supremacists who chanted “Jews will not replace us,” during their protest.

[RichardColeman]

I like to believe that I am a right wing person, probably far right on a lot of things these days according to the left, but I would fully support prosecution against violent extremists. HOWEVER, it needs to be both ways, where are the BLM prosecutions ? Antifa ? Personally I would jail all those marching through London chanting River to the sea in prison for 3 months to teach them a lesson in hatred. 

[Eric Loh]

23 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I like to believe that I am a right wing person, probably far right on a lot of things these days according to the left, but I would fully support prosecution against violent extremists. HOWEVER, it needs to be both ways, where are the BLM prosecutions ? Antifa ? Personally I would jail all those marching through London chanting River to the sea in prison for 3 months to teach them a lesson in hatred. 

An Associated Press review of documents in more than 300 federal cases stemming from the protests sparked by George Floyd's death showed that dozens of people have been charged and convicted of serious crimes and sent to prison. AP also found that more than 120 defendants across the US have plead guilty or convicted at trial of federal crimes including rioting and arson and consiracy. More thn 70 defendents have been sentenced and got an average of about 27 months begind bars. At least 10 received prison terms of 5 years or more. As of now, there are no talk of pardon and no song by the prisoners. They got what they deserved for violent conducts.

[Purdey]

2 hours ago, rice555 said:

First, it's "lynchings", and they were in the Democrats run South.

Whats anything to do with the Democratic Party? This is about court rulings. Stay on topic.

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I like to believe that I am a right wing person, probably far right on a lot of things these days according to the left, but I would fully support prosecution against violent extremists. HOWEVER, it needs to be both ways, where are the BLM prosecutions ? Antifa ? Personally I would jail all those marching through London chanting River to the sea in prison for 3 months to teach them a lesson in hatred. 

I'm constantly being told on here that the west is democratic and free, but you want to imprison people for saying something YOU disagree with.

That's what dictators do ( of either end of spectrum ).

That's hardly democratic or free, is it?

Personally I would do that to those of a different druthers than yourself ( no prize for guessing what ), but I don't think we live in a society that is either free or democratic.

[stevenl]

On 7/4/2024 at 1:04 PM, impulse said:

 

I doubt that collecting any money was the objective.  They just want to put the fear of God into anyone who protests on the other side. 

 

BLM, whose riots caused 10x as much damage and mayhem get off scot free, because they rioted "protested" on the correct side.

 

Thaipo7 called it...  Dual system of justice.  Anyone who doesn't see that is either blind or complicit.

 

 

On 7/4/2024 at 4:43 PM, Eric Loh said:

An Associated Press review of documents in more than 300 federal cases stemming from the protests sparked by George Floyd's death showed that dozens of people have been charged and convicted of serious crimes and sent to prison. AP also found that more than 120 defendants across the US have plead guilty or convicted at trial of federal crimes including rioting and arson and consiracy. More thn 70 defendents have been sentenced and got an average of about 27 months begind bars. At least 10 received prison terms of 5 years or more. As of now, there are no talk of pardon and no song by the prisoners. They got what they deserved for violent conducts.

Scot free you said?

[impulse]

59 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Scot free you said?

 

How much money has BLM paid in lawsuits and fines for creating and directing the mayhem?

 

[bamnutsak]

On 7/4/2024 at 3:31 AM, Social Media said:

However, on Monday, the Richmond-based Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals restored more than $2 million in punitive damages.

 

 

 

I'll save everyone the time, this will be reversed by SCOTUS 6:3.

 

 

[stevenl]

11 hours ago, impulse said:

 

How much money has BLM paid in lawsuits and fines for creating and directing the mayhem?

 

In stead of moving the goal post you should have said 'thanks for the correction '.

[bendejo]

 

A few weeks after the demonstrations when LE caught up with one of the organizers/orators he cried, literally wept, saying that he didn't mean any of what he said, he was just saying those things.  "Blood of patriots" indeed!

 

16 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

I'll save everyone the time, this will be reversed by SCOTUS 6:3.

Unfortunately so.  Hey, this deep state that gets talked about, that now control SCOTUS, which political party does it favor?  Ask the guy farthest to the right-hand side, his name is Harlan Crow.