3 ms·

They "legally" did find harm: $1

• lolinder 3y ago
  And as I've said elsewhere, that number gives them the right to levy up to $500 in punitive damages if they feel that Steyn's actions were especially egregious (and even that number would be subject to severe scrutiny on appeal). A 1:1m ratio of actual to punitive damages is just punishing speech as speech, not a true defamation verdict.
  • croes 3y ago
    The District of Colombia doesn't have those caps
    • lolinder 3y ago
      The District of Columbia is within the United States and under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, so Supreme Court rulings establishing a rule of proportionality definitely still apply. What you're referring to is that there is no cap to the monetary amount of either type of damages, not that the ratio between them can be severely disproportionate.