Additional Coverage:
- Court orders white nationalists to pay $2M more for Charlottesville Unite the Right violence (newsbreak.com)
RICHMOND, Va. — In a significant development that came four years after the violent 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, a jury has mandated that leaders and groups associated with white nationalism pay upwards of $26 million in damages for the harm caused to individuals both physically and emotionally during the incident.
The original verdict included a substantial amount of $24 million designated for punitive damages. However, this was reduced to a total of $350,000 by a judge, to be distributed among eight individuals.
A recent decision by a federal appeals court has now revised this figure, substantially increasing the punitive damages to more than $2 million. This verdict ensures $350,000 in punitive damages for each plaintiff, a significant increase from the initial $43,750 that would have been disbursed under the previous ruling.
The appellate ruling, made by a trio of judges from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, maintained a $2 million award for compensatory damages. The court interpreted a Virginia state law, previously applied to limit punitive damages to $350,000 in total, should instead be applied individually to each of the eight plaintiffs.
This lawsuit centered around the actions of two dozen white nationalists and their organizations during the Charlottesville demonstrations aimed at protesting the removal of a Confederate Gen. Robert E.
Lee statue. The violence peaked on the rally’s second day when James Alex Fields Jr., a white supremacist, deliberately drove his vehicle into a group of counter-protesters, resulting in one death and numerous injuries.
Fields, now serving a life sentence for murder and hate crimes, was among those named in the civil lawsuit.
The appeals court panel denied a request to bring the issue of punitive damages per plaintiff before the Supreme Joshua Court of Virginia, arguing that the language and historical context of the state law were sufficient indicators of how the state’s highest court would likely rule.
Chief Judge Albert Diaz, in a unanimous ruling, remarked that the jury’s initial decision on punitive damages was a clear condemnation of the reprehensible behavior demonstrated in Charlottesville. He stated, “Although the law requires us to adjust the award, it is time for the defendants to receive this message.”
The plaintiff’s legal team expressed satisfaction with the appeals court’s decision, emphasizing that the ruling not only reinstates a significant portion of punitive damages but also reinforces the jury’s stand against racially and religiously motivated violence and hatred.
Response from the defense’s legal representatives regarding the court’s ruling has yet to be received.
The 2021 trial verdict serves as a strong censure of the white nationalist agenda, holding the accused—a group of two dozen individuals and organizations—accountable for planning and executing acts of violence against minorities in a calculated conspiracy.