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Yes, the statements were false, but no matter what Giuliani said about the two Georgia election workers, and no matter how much a jury or a judge wanted to penalize and make an example of him, $150MM in damages is just plain absurd. Maybe $1MM if you really wanted to make a point?

But no, instead the concept of legal damages is thrown out the window. "Trump bad" and "Guiliani bad" have infected our institutions. See the $454 million Trump verdict in New York.

These obscene verdicts -- with the goal not of victim compensation but of personal destruction -- are naked partisan weaponization of the courts. We now have a politicized state seizure system masquerading as a system of justice and targeting opponents.

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💯

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They hit the litigation lottery

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Truth.

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New York conducts lawfare by suing their enemies for everything they are worth.

That and censorship are the two most tyrannical and dangerous weapons of today's Democrats.

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Sadly, I predict, given the opportunity, the right will do the same.

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I hate that you are right, but yeah.

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In a civil lawsuit the plaintiff is generally entitled to actual damages…in other words the amount of money they lost. So if Giuliani truly defamed them the could recover their wages from a lost job, for example. These “election workers” must be pretty exceptional if their lost wages are $150 million. So yes, these judgements are an attempt to utterly destroy financially any enemies of the establishment. And to send a message to anyone else who might pose a threat to the establishment.

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There was a large amount of punitive damages awarded in this case also. Punitive damages do not need to reflect actual losses.

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I thought the whole idea of a townhall meeting was to let ordinary people ask questions. The idea that they were pre-approved strikes me as bizarre. But I'm sure Maria Shriver and the candidate's staff were just trying to limit how much damage our cackling Veep could do to her own campaign.

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Thank you for stating it succinctly. Was $150 million the cost of their “pain and suffering”? And how was that determined? What dangerous times we live in when those in power turn the law ruthlessly against political opponents.

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Exactly, came to say the same thing. Truly absurd.

I’m in no way a “fan” of Giuliani or defending his actions, but you don’t have to to recognize that his fine is ridiculous.

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