Louisiana supreme court justice wins rare $300,000 defamation trial against newspaper
Summary
A Louisiana Supreme Court justice named Jefferson Davis Hughes III won a $300,000 defamation award against the state’s largest newspaper, the Advocate, over a 2019 editorial. The jury found the editorial was false and damaged Hughes’ reputation, although the amount was less than the $10 million he sought.Key Facts
- Justice Jefferson Davis Hughes III sued the Advocate newspaper for defamation over a 2019 editorial.
- The editorial criticized Hughes’ past handling of a child custody case and claimed he was romantically involved with a lawyer in that case.
- The jury awarded Hughes $300,000 in damages, less than the $10 million he wanted.
- Hughes had to prove “actual malice,” meaning the newspaper knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
- The case went to trial with testimony about the accuracy and timing of the editorial and an investigative news story published by the Advocate.
- The Advocate’s staff testified they tried to be accurate and later corrected the timeline after years of pressure.
- The jury was evenly divided on whether Hughes was defamed but agreed he was harmed.
- The judge ruled that the newspaper acted with “reckless disregard for the truth” in the editorial.
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