Appeals court throws out damage award in slaying of guest after `Jenny Jones Show' taping

AP via SFGate.com ^ | 10/23/2002 | Dee-Ann Durbin

[GeneD]

The Michigan Court of Appeals threw out a jury's $29.3 million award against the "Jenny Jones Show," saying the talk show had no legal duty to protect a guest who was murdered after revealing a gay crush.

The appeals court, in a 2-1 ruling released Wednesday, reversed the 1999 decision of an Oakland County jury that found the show's owner, Warner Bros., and its distributor, Telepictures, liable for the death of Scott Amedure.

[ambrose]

Good decision.

[Dan from Michigan]

I agree. The blame falls with Jonathan Schmitz. Period.

[HamiltonJay]

If this was a Criminal case, the judges got it right, if it was a Civil case judgement, judges got it wrong.

[Physicist]

I wonder how many homosexuals have since demonstrated their attraction to Mr. Schmitz.

[Peter Libra]

Nothing said of Canadian citizen, slimy deviate Jenny of course. Oh no- if the guy had been told first, we would'nt be even discussing this.

[HHFi]

Right decision, long overdue. It's absurd that this thing ever got into a courtroom in the first place. Imagine how much money has flowed into the pockets of lawyers already just to defend against this bogus nonsense, and the plaintiffs are vowing to appeal it even higher. Of course, when I saw that their lawyer was Geoffrey Fieger, it made perfect sense.

[TigersEye]

In a dissenting opinion, Judge William Murphy said the show failed to check Schmitz's personal history, which included mental illness, alcohol and drug abuse, suicide attempts and anger management problems.

"I would hold that as a matter of public policy, if defendants, for their own benefit, wish to produce 'ambush' shows that can conceivably create a volatile situation, they should bear the risk if a guest is psychologically unstable or criminally dangerous," Murphy wrote.

Clinton appointee? Carter?