Bay County Jury Rules CNN Defamed Former U.S. Government Operative
A jury in Bay County found CNN liable for defaming ex-operative Zachary Young
Panama City, Florida, CNN, Zachary Young, Defamation, Lawsuit
PANAMA CITY: A jury just found that CNN defamed Zachary Young, a former U.S. government operative. This all went down on Friday after a long day of deliberations.
The jurors took about eight and a half hours to reach their decision. They started talking it over on Thursday afternoon, so it was a bit of a wait.
In their verdict, they decided that CNN had committed defamation both outright and by implication against Young. That’s a big deal!
Young had been helping people escape from Afghanistan after the U.S. pulled out in 2021. But then CNN published a story claiming he was taking advantage of desperate Afghans and running a “black market” for evacuations. That really got him fired up, leading to the lawsuit he filed in 2022.
The trial kicked off on January 6, with Circuit Judge William Henry overseeing everything. It’s been quite the ride!
Now, the jury decided that CNN owes Young $4 million for lost earnings and another $1 million for all the pain and suffering he went through. That’s a hefty sum for sure!
But wait, there’s more! The jury also hinted that CNN might have to pay punitive damages. So, they’re moving into a second phase of the trial to figure that out. The jurors will hear from more expert witnesses to help them decide.
Judge Henry told the jurors they need to determine how much punishment CNN should face. This is on top of the compensatory damages they already awarded Young.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City, Florida jury finds for the plaintiff in defamation suit against CNN