Panama City, Florida – Jurors have not yet reached a conclusion in the high-stakes defamation lawsuit against CNN, as deliberations continue into Friday morning.
Plaintiff Zachary Young, a U.S. Navy veteran, alleges the Biden administration made illegal profits by assisting Afghan refugees on the “black market” during the country's 2021 military withdrawal, according to CNN. He claimed that he had defamed him. Young believes CNN has “tarnished his reputation and defamed him.” They conducted their “business” by labeling them “profiteers” who exploited “desperate Afghans” during the November 11, 2021 uprising. The segment first aired on CNN's “The Lead with Jake Tapper.”
Jurors deliberated for nearly six hours. Judge William S. Henry of the 14th Judicial Circuit, who presided over the trial in Bay County, Florida, asked jurors to return Friday morning and then asked jurors to continue serving longer into Thursday evening. I had already negotiated twice. One juror said he was “hungry and tired,” so the jurors were offered pizza. They broke up at 9:18pm (Central time).
The trial will resume at 8:15 a.m. Central Time on Friday.
The trial follows more than three years of litigation and an intense, sometimes chaotic eight-day trial. The court previously ruled that Young “did not engage in any illegal or criminal activity” despite what the network reported on air.
CNN's Alex Marquardt reluctant to admit he made money covering conflict zones: 'I don't go there to get paid'
US Navy veteran Zachary Young was defamed by CNN after he suggested that he made illegal profits by assisting Afghan refugees on the “black market” during the Biden administration's 2021 military withdrawal from Afghanistan. claimed to have done so. (Jessica Costescu)
Tapper first teased the 2021 part at the center of the lawsuit, saying, “Desperate Afghans are still trying to flee the country, preying on those who demand they pay big bucks to get out. “There is,” he said.
Later in the show, Tapper reminded viewers that the story of “desperate Afghans” being “predated” was coming next.
As Tapper's highly publicized segment begins, Marquardt says, “Afghans attempting to leave the country face a black market full of promises, exorbitant fees, and a lack of security and success.'' He said he realized there were no guarantees.
Mr. Tapper addressed Mr. Marquardt, who said “desperate Afghans are being exploited” and must pay “exorbitant and often impossible amounts” to flee the country.
Mr. Marquardt then named Mr. Young by name, flashed his photo on the screen, and offered $75,000 to transport the passenger-filled vehicle to Pakistan and $10,000 per person to arrive in the United Arab Emirates. He said the company is asking for $4,500.
“The price is out of reach for most Afghans,” Marquardt told viewers.
CNN defamation trial: Editor who said the article was “full of holes like Swiss cheese'' takes the stand to testify
The central portion of the trial was first broadcast on “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” (CNN/Screenshot)
CNN later aired Marquardt allegedly trying to call Young, but Young did not answer the phone.
Marquardt “told CNN in a text message that Afghans seeking to evacuate are expected to have sponsors pay for their expenses,” Young said, adding that the network's evacuation costs “are highly variable. , based on environmental realities,'' he added.
Marquardt then released footage of an anonymous, sympathetic man who couldn't afford to evacuate his family from Afghanistan, after Young said he “repeatedly refused to give a breakdown of costs or whether they were making money.” flowed.
Marquardt returned to Young and said he received another text message.
“In another message, Zachary Young, who suggested the evacuation, wrote that “availability is very limited and demand is high…'' He continued, “Unfortunately, the economic That's what it is,'' Marquardt told viewers.
Mr. Tapper responded, “Unfortunately, hmmm,” then thanked Mr. Marquardt for his report.
No other person or company other than Young was named.
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CNN host Jake Tapper and correspondent Alex Marquardt in the segment at the center of the defamation lawsuit. (CNN/Screenshot)
The segment was shared on social media and repackaged for CNN's website. Marquardt's report was rebroadcast on Jim Acosta's CNN show on November 13, and was broadcast multiple times on CNN International.
During the trial, this segment was cut out second by second, with CNN's legal team arguing that Young was not a key element of the story, and the plaintiffs' team arguing that the “black market” implications were essentially of Young's role as a defense contractor. He suggested that it had ruined his career. In the contract he signed, it was specifically mentioned as a reason for termination.
Young's legal team uncovered documents and obtained CNN's damning internal messages that repeatedly show staffers expressing open hostility toward Navy veterans. Opinions presented to the jury included one calling him a “shithole”, another calling him a “hole” and another saying he looked “like he could get punched”.
Marquardt's own message to colleagues was frequently quoted throughout the trial: “We're going to nail this midfielder Zachary Young.”
Young also testified that he rescued at least 22 women from Afghanistan, but that information was never reported by CNN.
At one point, CNN senior national security editor Thomas Lumley was grilled in court after internal messages showed he was highly skeptical of a “highly flawed” report. Mr Lumley was called as a witness after receiving an internal message saying he felt the report was “full of holes like Swiss cheese”.
CNN defamation trial: Reporter presses for harsh investigation of Navy veteran for involvement downplayed by defense
CNN apologized on air on March 25, 2022, when substitute anchor Pamela Brown was sitting in Tapper's chair. However, several CNN staffers who took the stand said they saw no need for an apology, and CNN Vice President Adam Levine testified that the apology was made only for legal purposes.
The trial included Judge Henry reprimanding CNNN's lead attorney David Axelrod several times and forcing him to apologize on the spot when evidence showed he had called Young a “liar.” are. He lied about not getting a job in his field right after the CNN show aired.
Axelrod had argued that documents showing Young still had security clearance were proof that he was able to find work after the CNN show aired, but ultimately in 2022. It turns out that the security clearance has expired.
The trial is scheduled to resume Friday and be livestreamed. fox news digital.
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