An attorney for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, had urged the eight-person jury to “send a message” with its verdict.

An attorney for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, had urged the eight-person jury to “send a message” with its verdict.

Rudy Giuliani should pay a pair of Georgia election workers he repeatedly and falsely accused of fraud $148 million in damages, a federal jury said Friday.

The eight-person jury awarded Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, the sum after a four-day trial, during which they testified that Giuliani’s lies in support of former President Donald Trump’s bogus stolen-election claims subjected them to a torrent of racist and violent threats and turned their lives upside down.

Freeman testified Wednesday that she was terrorized by Trump supporters and forced to move from her home because of Giuliani’s smears. “I was scared to come home at dark, you know,” a visibly emotional Freeman said on the witness stand. “I was just scared, I knew I had to move.”

  • DogMuffinsEnglish
    35·
    6 months ago

    He acknowledged in his closing argument that “my client has committed wrongful conduct against” the pair and had “harmed” them, but asked the jury to keep in mind the good Giuliani had done in his lifetime.

    He told them the message he believed they should send is, “You should have been better, but you’re not as bad as the plaintiffs are making you out to be.”

    This has to be the worst closing argument ever. This might work if say, a teacher commits a drink driving offense, or a crosswalk attendant steals some laundry detergent, but “think of all the good” that this sycophant did in his life is just going to inspire heavier penalties.

    • AstridWipenaugh@lemmy.world
      9·
      6 months ago

      But look at it from the defense’s perspective. He’s guilty AF and there’s no denying it. What play could that make other than to try a humanitarian appeal? It’s pretty clearly not going to work, but as his defense council they have to try.

      I hope they get to seize his houses and they move in right away.

      • DogMuffinsEnglish
        1·
        6 months ago

        What play could that make

        Oh I don’t know, perhaps contrition?

    • JustZ@lemmy.world
      5·
      6 months ago

      It was the only argument Rudy could make. He refused to provide discovery as part of an overall litigation strategy to hide his assets and got sanctioned with an adverse finding on liability. The only thing to argue to the jury was the amount of damages.