Washington, D.C. – After the announcement was made that jury deliberations in the defamation trial against Rudy Giuliani would continue the following morning, the former New York City mayor left the courthouse without speaking to the press. This departure marked a departure from previous days when Giuliani had spoken to reporters while leaving the building.
The jury ended their deliberations for the day and left the courthouse. They will reconvene tomorrow at 9 a.m. ET to continue their discussions.
Earlier in the trial, the jury submitted a note to the judge requesting copies of the slideshow and reports presented by Ashlee Humphreys, the plaintiff’s expert witness. The documents in question outlined Humphreys’ assessment of the damages the plaintiffs should be awarded. However, the request was denied since the documents had not been officially entered into evidence.
Humphreys, a sociology professor at Northwestern University, also served as an expert witness in another defamation suit against former President Donald Trump.
The defense has concluded their closing arguments, with Giuliani’s lawyer acknowledging that his client has committed wrongful conduct against the plaintiffs. While Giuliani chose not to testify, his lawyer argued that the damages sought by the plaintiffs were too high and urged the jury to consider that Giuliani is “a good man.”
In contrast, the plaintiffs’ lawyer asked the jury to award each plaintiff at least $24 million in damages for Giuliani’s defamatory statements. The lawyer emphasized that the requested amount does not fully reflect the extent of the reputational damage suffered by the plaintiffs.
Ultimately, the jury will decide the outcome of the trial and the amount of damages, if any, to be awarded. Deliberations will resume tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. ET.
This trial marks another high-profile defamation case involving Giuliani, who was a prominent figure in New York City during the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and has faced criticism over his actions and statements in recent years.