[BREAKING] Jury Reaches Partial Verdict in Charlottesville ‘Unite the Right’ Trial

Nine people injured during the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia, are entitled to financial compensation, a jury declared Tuesday. But the jury only reached a partial verdict, as they couldn’t agree on the most serious claims that the defendants — about two dozen white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and key organizers — engaged in a “conspiracy to commit violence” as defined under federal law. The case, known as Sines v. Kessler, was the first major lawsuit in years to be tried under the so-called Ku Klux Klan Act, a rarely used federal law codified after the Civil War. It was installed to diminish the power of white supremacists and protect African Americans, prohibiting discrimination for voting and other rights.

The jury of 11 deliberated for over three days following four weeks of testimony in the civil trial in a federal court in Charlottesville. The plaintiffs, all from Charlottesville, described broken bones, bloodshed, and emotional trauma resulting from the riot. The defendants, some self-described racists and white nationalists, argued they were exercising their First Amendment rights in organizing and participating in the rally.

Among the evidence were text messages, social media posts, and conversations on Discord, an online chat platform, in which organizers discussed and meticulously planned the two-day event, which turned deadly when James Alex Fields Jr., an Ohio man who revered Hitler, rammed his car into a crowd, killing Heather Heyer, a civil rights activist. Dozens were also injured in the car attack, including four of the plaintiffs.

Long live Heather Heyer. Love, solidarity, and heartfelt gratitude to everyone who showed in Charlottesville to stand against white supremacy. Thank you to everyone who helped bankrupt these nazis forever. pic.twitter.com/GLitscx5TQ

— Chad Loder (they/them) (@chadloder) November 23, 2021

 

In making its decision, the jury had to find that the defendants, which include Jason Kessler, the lead organizer of the rally, and Richard Spencer, a white nationalist who coined the term “alt-right,” entered into a conspiracy to commit violence. But the jury was deadlocked in the first two claims: a federal “conspiracy to interfere with civil rights” and “action for neglect to prevent.”

#BREAKING: @IntegrityforUSA’s Charlottesville plaintiffs just won our lawsuit against the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and hate groups responsible for the Unite the Right violence — securing huge financial judgments.

(I am typing this through tears.)

— Amy Spitalnick (@amyspitalnick) November 23, 2021

The jury also agreed to a range of punitive damages on the other claims, including assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, awarding more than $25 million for the plaintiffs.

Jury deadlocked on the most important claims in the civil case against the organisers of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. Judge will call in the jury for an "Allen charge" to convince them to decide one way or another. https://t.co/8MvzowSSFN

— Arieh Kovler (@ariehkovler) November 23, 2021

[This is a breaking and developing story, please check back for updates]