Rudy Giuliani’s plea
A federal judge dismissed Rudy Giuliani’s plea to overturn a substantial defamation ruling against him, instructing the former Trump attorney to compensate $148 million to two Georgia election workers.
Wrongly accused
Giuliani had wrongly accused the mother and daughter of voter fraud during the 2020 election. In a decision by District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington D.C., a jury’s December verdict against Rudy Giuliani, the former lawyer for ex-President Donald Trump, was upheld.
Compensate
The ruling required Giuliani to compensate Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss for defamation, emotional distress, and punitive damages.
Giuliani’s legal team
Despite efforts by Giuliani’s legal team to reverse the ruling, a motion was filed in February requesting the court to overturn the decision or call for a new trial.
Emotional harm
Among the arguments presented were that the statements causing emotional harm were time-barred, insufficient evidence of distress existed, and certain testimonies should have been disregarded.
Evidence
But Howell wrote the motion from Giuliani’s team fell “well short of persuading that ‘the evidence and all reasonable inferences that can be drawn therefrom are so one-sided that reasonable men and women could not have reached a verdict in [plaintiffs’] favor.’”
Defamation case
Giuliani, the former attorney for President Donald Trump, has been embroiled in a high-profile defamation case related to his statements about two former Georgia election workers. In December, a jury ruled that Giuliani had to pay more than $148 million to the two former Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, for defaming them by spreading a false conspiracy theory linking them to election fraud.
Accusations
The jury found that Giuliani’s baseless accusations had caused the two individuals emotional stress and made them the targets of harassment and threats.
Bankruptcy
Following the judgment, Giuliani filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, which temporarily paused the civil litigation, allowing him time to appeal the verdict. His spokesperson, Ted Goodman, stated that the bankruptcy filing was not surprising, as Giuliani would not be able to pay such a high punitive amount.
Rejected
Recently, a federal judge rejected Giuliani’s motion to reverse the defamation judgment and upheld the jury’s verdict, ordering Giuliani to pay the damages to Freeman and Moss. The judge found that Giuliani’s legal team fell short of persuading the court to overturn the ruling, thereby denying the appeal.
Giuliani’s attorney
Giuliani’s attorney, Joseph Sibley, stated that they would proceed with an appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court and look forward to an appellate panel reviewing the case2. Despite the setback, Giuliani’s team remains determined to contest the ruling at the appellate level.
Significant
The outcome of this defamation case against Giuliani has significant implications for the former mayor, as well as for the broader discourse around political statements and their legal consequences. The case sheds light on the potential ramifications of spreading unsubstantiated claims and the legal recourse available to those affected by such statements.
Heidi-Z
July 13, 2024 at 1:56 am
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