Major media and scholars side with Taya Kyle against Jesse Ventura

StarTribune.com ^ | 3/10/15 | Randy Furst

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Heavy hitters in U.S. media joined prominent First Amendment scholars to file two amicus briefs challenging last summer’s jury verdict that favored former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura in his defamation trial in St. Paul.

The friend-of-the-court media brief, filed with the 8th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals, characterizes the $1.3 million jury award to Ventura as unprecedented, with no basis in common law.

The scholars’ filing faults U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle’s instructions to the jury.

The briefs support Taya Kyle, widow of Chris Kyle, author of the best-selling memoir “American Sniper.”

Ventura’s lawyers convinced the jury in a 10-2 decision that he had been defamed by Chris Kyle, who wrote in the book that he punched Ventura and knocked him down in a California bar after Ventura made disparaging remarks about Navy SEALs and the U.S. government.

[MaxMax]

Instead this case is about a first-person account from Mr. [Chris] Kyle that
the jury found to be a complete fabrication.”

How did the Jury come to that conclusion?

[yarddog]

That editorial basically added nothing except they took sides.

[arthurus]

And Jesse V is, after all, a public figure and there are different rules for public figures. They have a far harder time proving slander or libel.

[tophat9000]

The last two sentence are a statement by Ventura attorney.. and nowhere in the article does it state “No one is contesting that finding”. .

just because a third parties contend the fine was excessive even if what Kyle wrote was false is not the same as saying it was false

I can get accused of stealing a piece of candy and get sentenced to 10 years.....

If anything the excessive fine in the end argues for a bias jury in the first place Other can then certainly arguing in court that 10 years for stealing a piece of candy is cruel excessive punishment ....

Along with me making an appeal I didn't steal the candy and the jury found wrong..

Or do you content all jurors are never wrong?

[SubMareener]

See the National Review article http://www.nationalreview.com/article/384176/justice-jesse-ventura-was-right-his-lawsuit-j-delgado It appears that the jury came to a reasonable verdict on the facts.

[kiryandil]

Jesse Ventura wears his underwear backwards, for easy access...

[kiryandil]

There was a fair civil trial and the jury decided for Ventura.

There was a fair civil trial and the jury decided for Ventura, the trash-talking little SEAL-wanna-be pussy.

FIFY. LOL! :)

[Plummz]

The New York Times and NPR are arguing for the right to lie and libel people?! SHOCKER!

[jonrick46]

The witnesses support Chris Kyle's version. However, because the witness were considered intoxicated, and their testimony inconsistent, they were discounted. Most of the witnesses gave variations of former SEAL Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Paul's account: Paul said he saw a commotion, then saw Ventura get up from the patio floor and yell that he was going to kill Chris Kyle. Afterward, Paul said, “Chris told me, ‘Jesse was running his mouth and I punched him.’ ”

[Vendome]

Burn in hell, Jesse. ..

Fatuous pig...

[Boiler Plate]

If the Civil Trial was held in Minn and Taya lives in Texas, just how is Ventura going to get her to pay?

[stratboy]

Kinda hard for Chris Kyle to defend himself in court, so we never got to hear his side. That aside, it seems kinda sleezy that Ventura went after his widow.

[SubMareener]

Do your homework. Chris Kyle gave a deposition before he was killed that was used at the trial.

[SisterK]

sleazy that Ventura went after his widow...yep. Leave the widow alone.