Posted on 02/08/2024 9:00:58 PM PST by Ultra Sonic 007
As many of you already know, a Washington, DC jury today found the Defendants (Mark Steyn and Rand Simberg) liable for defamatory speech and reckless disregard of provable facts. Putting aside the monetary damages, the real damage done by this case is to every American who still believes in the First Amendment.
The precedent set today, and as alluded to by Justice Alito when the case was petitioned before the U.S. Supreme Court, means that disagreement and/or criticism of a matter of public policy — the founding principle of this country — is now in doubt. And should you choose to give voice to any dissent, you can brought before a jury, held responsible, and fined.
Think this is just rhetoric? Consider, Mark Steyn is a member of the media. As such, he is supposedly afforded First Amendment protections. If a member of the media is no longer protected, what do you think that means for every day citizens? And it doesn't matter if you are in DC or Montana — anyone can file in the jurisdiction of his or her choosing.
In Justice Alito's dissent in 2019, he presciently wrote (emphasis added):
The petition in this case presents questions that go to the very heart of the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech and freedom of the press: the protection afforded to journalists and others who use harsh language in criticizing opposing advocacy on one of the most important public issues of the day. If the Court is serious about protecting freedom of expression, we should grant review...
(Excerpt) Read more at steynonline.com ...
I think I’m going to have to renew the passport of the old country. My US citizenship meant so much to me, but what country is it where the courts award E. Jean Carroll $83M, Mann $1M and decide that Biden ought not be charged because he’s a well-meaning, sympathetic old man with memory problems?
All good things must come to an end.
What’s remarkable is that they only value the Golden Calf at $1mm. Mann could sell his DC condo for twice that.
Add to your list a major political party running kangaroo courts to mail the opposition and lawfare to remove him from the slate of candidates.
The USA is far, far gone.
Michael,Mann won only because the trial was in DC. It would be difficult to find a jury in DC that knew what the hockey puck theory was or didn’t still believe it if they did.
Texas cannot secede fast enough.
maybe so, but, as i said on another thread, imo, this is pyrric victory at best for mann and his climate cronies. everyone who knows anything about science and the truth, knows he and climate ‘science’ lost very badly in this ‘trial.’ we also had it confirmed that there is no justice in the American justice system.
therefore, no denying it, to the regular person, stay out of court in America, is the message. and that especially if you are innocent.
but thank God Mark went on anyway and told “the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” on the the transcripts, the facts, evidence and testimony that impeach mann (especially mann himself) and his climate ‘science’ are now there for everyone to read, and will support Mark as long as records are kept.
28 U.S. Code § 1391 - Venue generally
(a) Applicability of Section.—Except as otherwise provided by law—
(1) this section shall govern the venue of all civil actions brought in district courts of the United States; and
(2) the proper venue for a civil action shall be determined without regard to whether the action is local or transitory in nature.(b) Venue in General.—A civil action may be brought in—
(1) a judicial district in which any defendant resides, if all defendants are residents of the State in which the district is located;
(2) a judicial district in which a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred, or a substantial part of property that is the subject of the action is situated; or
(3) if there is no district in which an action may otherwise be brought as provided in this section, any judicial district in which any defendant is subject to the court’s personal jurisdiction with respect to such action.
Congress needs to pass a law that explicitly excludes the District of Columbia from being a venue for any cases except for those involving non-resident foreign nationals. No U.S. citizen or legal resident should be subject to trial by a Federal Court within a Federal territory.
Even so, the second rule that states that venue may be in "a judicial district in which a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred, or a substantial part of property that is the subject of the action is situated" should not apply in Steyn's case, since D.C. could not possibly have been a place in which a substantial part of the alleged damage occurred - unless, e.g., the "damage" was to Mann's ability to get Federal grant money, which would be all the more reason - given the prima facie conflict of interest of most potential D.C. denizen-jurors - to disallow D.C. as a venue for any fair trial.
May DC’s crime problem skyrocket evsn more.
DC courts are irredeemably biased and activist. They need to be dissolved.
Cary Catz never paid Steyn one thin dime from that trial, where Steyn was awarded significant compensation. Mann himself never paid the Canadian (Tim ?) that he tried to sue. My answer would be, when you pay Tim’s family I’ll think about paying YOU.
Was there a good reason the trial was held in D.C. ? Does Steyn live there ?
Judge and venue shopping.
“Even so, the second rule that states that venue may be in “a judicial district in which a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred, or a substantial part of property that is the subject of the action is situated” should not apply in Steyn’s case, since D.C. could not possibly have been a place in which a substantial part of the alleged damage occurred - unless, e.g., the “damage” was to Mann’s ability to get Federal grant money, which would be all the more reason - given the prima facie conflict of interest of most potential D.C. denizen-jurors - to disallow D.C. as a venue for any fair trial.”
Oh, you’re bringing me back to my very first law school days of cases like Worldwide Volkswagen and International Shoe which dealt with those issues.
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