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PaperclipPerfector  11mo ago (text post)   24155 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of June 10, 2024

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However, is he responsible at all for the fact that his followers went too far and harassed those people? Are CNN or MSNBC liable for defamation since they broadcasted Jones making those same claims? Do we know that if the people that harassed the victims parents actually got their information directly from Jones himself?

None of this was ever litigated, because they used procedural tricks to obtain a default judgement against him, then slap him with the largest civil judgement in history. Having not been litigated though, it now becomes effective "precedent" that indeed if you are not in good odor with the establishment, you ARE responsible for pretty much anything someone can come up with a legal theory for. And insurance companies will refuse to insure people who refuse to act according to these new "precedents", and if you go to a lawyer they will advise you not to do things which might result in this sort of liability for you... so everyone will behave as if this is the law, which means it is the law.

You don't get a default judgement against you because of the Plaintiff's "procedural tricks". You end up with a default judgement because of monumental incompetence where you don't respond to repeated requests, miss critical deadlines, and ignore court orders. These things aren't optional.

You don't get a default judgement against you because of the Plaintiff's "procedural tricks".

No, the court's procedural tricks.

It isn't a procedural trick; it's an essential part of the system. You don't get to dodge litigation by failing to cooperate, and after 2 years the judge is backed into a corner.

because they used procedural tricks to obtain a default judgement against him

From my understanding Alex and his lawyer also worked hard on beating Alex with procedural tricks. If everyone involved is against you then you will end "I guess we are taking anything not protected by bankruptcy laws". And AFAIK they are fairly generous in this case, he is not going to be evicted and starving.

slap him with the largest civil judgement in history

This is the crux to me of this just being almost entirely motivated by spite. I think that what he did was reprehensible, but plenty of other civil judgements for worse cases have not been 'let us completely financially annihilate this man teehee'

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