Act Daily News
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A Virginia decide utilized the state’s statutory punitive damages cap to lower the quantity of punitive damages owed by White Nationalists who organized and took part within the 2017 Unite the Right rally from $24 million to $350,000, court docket information present.
A complete of $26 million was awarded by a jury in 2021 after discovering these concerned within the Unite the Right rally accountable for accidents suffered in the course of the Charlottesville rally in August 2017. The jury determined the defendants ought to pay $2 million in compensatory damages and $24 million in punitive damages.
While the court docket acknowledged “the jury verdict findings of Defendants’ liability,” and upheld the compensatory damages award, the order mentioned it might cut back the punitive damages to $350,000, “as compelled by the Virginia statutory cap on punitive damages.”
A Virginia state legislation limits the entire quantity awarded for punitive damages to $350,000 per case, however the legislation doesn’t permit the jury to be suggested of the punitive damages cap. Instead, in instances the place a jury awards greater than the $350,000 in punitive damages, the legislation requires judges to scale back the award to the utmost.
The order was filed on December 30, 2022, and signed by Senior US District Judge Norman Ok. Moon.
Among the 23 defendants was James Alex Fields, Jr., who sped his automobile by means of a gaggle of counter protestors on the rally, injuring dozens and killing 32-year outdated Heather Heyer. Half of the damages awarded by the jury had been in opposition to Fields.
Some of the most outstanding figures of the alt-right – Jason Kessler, Matthew Heimbach, Richard Spencer and Christopher Cantwell – had been additionally among the many defendants.