Navy

Jury Ready to Impose $100M in Damages Before CNN Settles Defamation Case with Navy Veteran

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PANAMA CITY, Fla. — A Florida jury recently determined that CNN defamed U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young, leading to a confidential settlement agreement before punitive damages could be assessed. Young, who served in the Navy, claimed that CNN falsely implicated him as profiting illegally from helping people escape Afghanistan during the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal in 2021. According to the jury foreperson, the panel was prepared to potentially award “up to $100 million” in punitive damages to signal a strong disapproval of the misreporting. However, before the jury could decide on the punitive damages, an … Read more

Jury Rules in Favor of Navy Veteran, CNN Found Liable for Defamation in Coverage of Afghan Refugee Crisis

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A jury has ruled that CNN defamed a Navy veteran during a broadcast segment that focused on Afghan refugees. The decision marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over media accountability and the treatment of veterans in news reporting. The veteran, identified as Don Brown, was implicated by CNN in alleged inappropriate conduct involving the process of evacuating Afghan nationals during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Brown, who has vehemently denied all such accusations, pursued legal action against the network claiming that the false allegations had damaged his reputation and livelihood. During the trial, … Read more

CNN Settles Defamation Suit with US Navy Vet Post-Jury Verdict, Details Remain Confidential

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PANAMA CITY, Fla. – CNN recently reached a settlement in a defamation lawsuit initiated by a U.S. Navy veteran following a jury verdict that found the network had defamed him. The lawsuit stemmed from a 2021 news segment about evacuations in Afghanistan which misrepresented the veteran. In Bay County, Florida, after two weeks of deliberations, the court concluded in favor of Zachary Young, awarding him $5 million in compensatory damages. The settlement was agreed upon during the phase of the trial that would have examined punitive damages, though specific details of the agreement remain undisclosed. … Read more

Florida Jury Awards $5 Million to Navy Veteran in High-Profile CNN Defamation Case

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Tampa, Florida — A Florida jury has awarded $5 million to Zachary Young, a U.S. Navy veteran, settling a high-profile defamation case against CNN on Friday. This verdict follows intense jury deliberations which concluded after more than eight hours. The dispute centered on a CNN segment that aired critical claims about Young’s conduct during the evacuations following the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Further complicating the media landscape is CNN’s decision to settle the remaining claims for an undisclosed amount, underscoring the fragile trust that the public holds in longstanding news institutions. This sentiment has … Read more