In the U.S., a jury in Charlottesville, Virginia found the organizers of the deadly 2017 “Unite the Right’’ rally liable for the event’s violence, awarding nine plaintiffs $26 million in damages.
Charlottesville, November 25 (RHC)-- In the U.S., a jury in Charlottesville, Virginia found the organizers of the deadly 2017 “Unite the Right’’ rally liable for the event’s violence, awarding nine plaintiffs $26 million in damages.
Convicted murderer James Fields — who is already serving multiple life sentences for killing activist Heather Heyer when he rammed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters — was found liable for $12 million in punitive damages.
The 12 defendants included three other high-profile white supremacist figures: former leader of the alt-right movement Richard Spencer, event organizer Jason Kessler and neo-nazi podcast host Christopher Cantwell. Defendants have been ordered to pay plaintiffs $500,000 each, and five white nationalist groups were ordered to pay $1 million each.
The jury, however, was deadlocked on two federal conspiracy charges.