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D.C. jury unjustly finds Mark Steyn liable for defamation of Michael Mann, awards $1 million in punitive damages.
American Thinker ^ | 9 Feb, 2024 | Thomas Lifson

Posted on 02/09/2024 5:49:49 PM PST by MtnClimber

Global warming doomsayer Michael Mann of Penn State University has won his defamation lawsuit against critics Mark Steyn and Rand Simburg, proving that conservatives cannot get fair verdicts from District of Columbia juries. This is a huge, structural problem for the federal judiciary, because D.C. courts have jurisdiction over many actions regarding the federal government. Bias to the point of hatred of Republicans and conservatives by D.C. juries has made those courts a part of the Democrats’ armory.

If Republicans ever again get the Oval Office and majorities in both Houses of Congress, they must redefine the jurisdiction of lower courts so that actions involving the federal government rotate among all judicial districts. Democrats will fight this measure with a Senate filibuster, but Republicans can argue that the juries must “look like America.”

I am deeply worried for Mark’s health, as he has been very ill, and this massive setback might lead to worse health outcomes.

I rely on retired super-lawyer John Hinderaker, who attended some of the trial, on the question of the unjustness of the verdict:

The verdict was disappointing to those of us who followed the case and thought that Michael Mann presented a pathetically inadequate case. The jury actually agreed: it found that the defendants had defamed Mann, but awarded only a token $1 in damages, since Mann had failed to prove any. But it found that both Simberg and Steyn acted with actual malice–they didn’t actually believe what they said about Mann–and awarded punitive damages in the amount of $1,000 against Simberg, and $1 million against Steyn.

In a sane world, this case never would have gone to the jury. The legal standard is actual malice, which means the defendants must have thought, subjectively, that what they said wasn’t likely true.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: leftism
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1 posted on 02/09/2024 5:49:49 PM PST by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

Nobody is safe with juries like this, especially if you are a conservative.


2 posted on 02/09/2024 5:49:59 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: MtnClimber

I am sure that his legal team had an appeal penned as soon as the trial began.


3 posted on 02/09/2024 5:53:02 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: MtnClimber

I am sure that his legal team had an appeal penned as soon as the trial began.


4 posted on 02/09/2024 5:53:05 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: MtnClimber

Ridiculous. Mann is a complete fraud.


5 posted on 02/09/2024 5:55:57 PM PST by JennysCool ("It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." - Mark Twain)
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To: All

D.C. Juries... and Judges , and 99% of the lawyers will NEVER deliver Justice. Like Ripley and Hicks say: Take off, nuke the site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure


6 posted on 02/09/2024 5:56:46 PM PST by LegendHasIt
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To: Army Air Corps

Some jurisdictions (NYS) require a bond posted fitst by the appealing party equal to the award amount and interest accumulates. This is before an appeal may go forward and is forfeited if the appeal fails.


7 posted on 02/09/2024 6:01:28 PM PST by desertsolitaire
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To: MtnClimber

Conservative=🎯


8 posted on 02/09/2024 6:04:10 PM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)
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To: Army Air Corps
Mark Steyn represented himself, so he is the whole legal team. He has had 3 heart attacks in the last year and uses a wheel chair to get around. He is also Canadian, so he will likely have to wait 6 months to a year for bypass surgery, assuming that is what he needs. The good news is that the courts will vacate the $1M punitive judgment. Nonetheless he needs our support, especially financially.
9 posted on 02/09/2024 6:05:01 PM PST by Pres Raygun (Repent America)
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To: MtnClimber

The left is just going to ‘legally’ confiscate the wealth of conservatives from here on out.


10 posted on 02/09/2024 6:06:10 PM PST by KobraKai
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To: rktman

Justice by outlaw biker gangs.


11 posted on 02/09/2024 6:06:29 PM PST by kiryandil (Free Zaluzhny!)
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To: KobraKai
see my post #11.

Cheaper to hire those sorts, and they pay attention to their work.

12 posted on 02/09/2024 6:07:37 PM PST by kiryandil (Free Zaluzhny!)
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To: MtnClimber

DC certainly couldn’t pass the Abraham test — ten righteous men. A jury trial there offers no hope for anyone with the “wrong” skin color or ideology. You would have a better chance of getting a fair trial in the soviet union.


13 posted on 02/09/2024 6:11:54 PM PST by hopespringseternal
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To: MtnClimber
There have been some rulings by SCOTUS concerning discrepancies between punitive and compensatory damages. I think they have stated that 4:1 ratio is the upper limit and anything over 10:1 would be unconstitutional.

I think one of Steyn’s lawyers has already indicated they will use this as an appeal. If successful it would lower Simburg’s penalty to $4 and Steyn’s to $4,000

Whether successful or not, these amounts will not be a dent in the cost of Mann’s legal team costs. Though Mann is not on the hook for any costs at all, as he testified in court, he has not paid for any legal fees regarding his litigation.

14 posted on 02/09/2024 6:27:39 PM PST by LVS1
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To: MtnClimber

Why don’t we do the same to them in conservative states?


15 posted on 02/09/2024 6:31:42 PM PST by chuckb87
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To: MtnClimber

For those that don’t know.... Mann is the “Hockey Stick” and “Fudge factor” guy. He wrote software to rig the temperature Climate numbers. His software was leaked along with the code and code comments.


16 posted on 02/09/2024 6:35:15 PM PST by Revel
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To: Pres Raygun
Mark Steyn represented himself …

That was a mistake.

17 posted on 02/09/2024 6:40:33 PM PST by HIDEK6 (God bless Donald Trump. )
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To: MtnClimber
Exactly as expected. First justice was delayed, now it has been explicitly denied.

I hope the appeal does better.

18 posted on 02/09/2024 6:44:59 PM PST by TChad
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To: HIDEK6

‘Mark Steyn represented himself …
‘That was a mistake.’

He may not have had much choice - the case went on for 12 years, and the commentators at ‘Steyn On-Line’ indicated that the kind of lawyers used in this case typically run at $1,500 / hour to $2,500 / hour.

Plus his co-defendant had standard legal representation (and she sounded pretty darn good) and he got rail-roaded as well.

The District of Columbia has not lately been the place for equal justice under the law; sadly that vindictive POS Mann and his crew were the one’s who got to choose the venue.


19 posted on 02/09/2024 7:14:26 PM PST by Stosh
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To: Stosh

Can we invite the Brits back to burn DC again?


20 posted on 02/09/2024 7:15:11 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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