In a significant legal development four years after the violent Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, a federal appeals court has reinstated over $2 million in punitive damages against white nationalist leaders and organizations. The decision marks a partial reversal of a previous ruling that had significantly reduced punitive damages awarded to victims of the 2017 rally.
Initially, a jury had awarded a total of more than $26 million in damages, with $24 million designated as punitive damages. However, a subsequent ruling by a judge slashed this punitive amount to $350,000, to be shared among eight plaintiffs. This decision was contested, leading to the recent ruling by a three-judge panel of the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The appeals court affirmed the jury's award of $2 million in compensatory damages but disagreed with the lower court's application of a state law that capped punitive damages at $350,000 total for all plaintiffs. Instead, the panel ruled that each plaintiff should receive $350,000 in punitive damages, emphasizing the egregious nature of the defendants' conduct during the rally.
The lawsuit, filed against two dozen white nationalists and organizations involved in the Charlottesville demonstrations, stemmed from two days of protests against the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The rally culminated in violence, including the intentional vehicular attack by James Alex Fields Jr., which resulted in the death of one counter-protester and numerous injuries.
Fields, currently serving a life sentence for murder and hate crimes, was among the defendants in the civil case. The appellate panel's decision rejected a plea from the defendants to seek clarification from the Supreme Court of Virginia on the punitive damages issue, asserting confidence in their interpretation of applicable state law.
Chief Judge Albert Diaz, writing for the unanimous panel, underscored the jury's initial intent with the punitive damages award: to denounce the defendants' misconduct unequivocally. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs welcomed the decision, emphasizing its affirmation of justice against racial and antisemitic hate.
In contrast, lawyers representing the defendants declined immediate comment following the ruling. The 2021 verdict against the white nationalist defendants was hailed as a landmark rebuke, condemning orchestrated violence targeting minority communities during the Charlottesville rally.
The reinstatement of punitive damages not only upholds the jury's original message but also underscores ongoing legal repercussions for those involved in organizing and perpetrating hate-driven violence at the Unite the Right rally
