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Oberlin College wants new trial in Gibsons case | |
2019-09-01 | |
More than 540 pages of legal arguments and exhibits were filed Aug. 14 by Oberlin College attorneys asking Lorain County Common Pleas Judge John Miraldi to order a new trial. Attorneys for the Gibsons fired back with more than 125 pages of legal arguments and exhibits of their own Wednesday, asking Miraldi to strike down the college's request. Attorneys for Oberlin College cited errors in the jury interrogatories and instructions; mistakes in the allocation of compensatory damages; failure of the court to move the trial's venue; errors in instructions on the definitions of libel and actual malice; incorrect and over-broad instructions by Miraldi; improper introduction of evidence; the awarding of "excessive" damages and a host of other issues in the 310-page filing. They also filed a 232-page motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, alleging that the jury ordered the college not to pay for its behavior and the behavior of one college official but for "statements that Oberlin College students ‐ not Defendants ‐ made during peaceful, lawful, and constitutionally protected protests on issues of public concern." A Lorain County jury early this summer awarded Gibson's Bakery and the Gibson family more than $44 million in compensatory and punitive damages from Oberlin College and Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo for libel, intentional infliction of emotional distress and interference with business relationships. At the time, it was the largest civil award for libel in Ohio history. Miraldi later reduced the award to $25 million due to caps on damages allowable under Ohio law, but tacked on additional attorney fees payable to the Gibsons and their legal counsel. Related: Oberlin College: 2019-07-27 Oberlin College ordered to post $36M bond in case against Gibson's Bakery Oberlin College: 2019-07-19 Judge hits Oberlin with $6.5M in attorney's fees after college loses libel case Oberlin College: 2019-07-08 Former Oberlin College President: ‘Pay the court’s judgment, don’t fight it; apologize to the Gibson family and to the community’ | |
Posted by:Fred |
#16 Typical left - keep asking for a do-over until you get the result you want, ignoring law and precedent, and objective reality. |
Posted by: Injun Bucket8891 2019-09-01 22:23 |
#15 These colleges get their money via federal student loans. Most of the time federal means liberal lawmakers who pay them to pump leftist crap into young people's minds. Follow the $$$. |
Posted by: Phaick Uneretle6310 2019-09-01 21:36 |
#14 Also infuriating. Oberlin is led by vile, disgusting people. Yes, but the reason they think they can do this is because our thoroughly rotten institutions (the courts, law enforcement) can be counted on to actively cooperate in their efforts. That's where the real problem lies. |
Posted by: charger 2019-09-01 15:17 |
#13 Oberlin's social justice idiots don't teach anywhere near the level of power or harm or mechanistic brutality that you associate with the USSR or the Third Reich or Maoist China. Same kind of people - just give them time. |
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-09-01 11:56 |
#12 Thanks, grom. Oberlin's social justice idiots don't teach anywhere near the level of power or harm or mechanistic brutality that you associate with the USSR or the Third Reich or Maoist China. The Oberlin people are just petty little shitheads who have figured out how to scam their way into mid 6-figure salaries for doing nothing except posturing and preening at a babysitting institution for spoiled "diversity" children. |
Posted by: Lex 2019-09-01 11:51 |
#11 Kafka's subject was cosmic absurdity - not the grinding, all-too-human, shitty nastiness that results from ordinary human arrogance and stupidity. typically features isolated protagonists facing bizarre or surrealistic predicaments and incomprehensible socio-bureaucratic powers Google also (Russian) term "Samodurstvo" |
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-09-01 11:03 |
#10 Kafka's subject was cosmic absurdity - not the grinding, all-too-human, shitty nastiness that results from ordinary human arrogance and stupidity. For that you need a satirist skilled in social portraiture, like Voltaire or Dickens or Tom Wolfe. |
Posted by: Lex 2019-09-01 10:57 |
#9 It's simply astonishing... something out of a Tom Wolfe novel. Not Kafka? |
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-09-01 10:46 |
#8 For the curious: Cornell Law Prof William Jacobson has been following this closely from the beginning at his blog, legalinsurrection.com. That's a wonderful resource - indispensable and highly recommended. Also, for those who care to immerse themselves in the sordid details of Oberlin administrators' and students' unbelivably stupid, shitty behavior, here is a thorough and precise "FAQ" document put out by the Gibson family's lawyers, the Lee Plakas firm - read the whole thing. It's simply astonishing... something out of a Tom Wolfe novel. Also infuriating. Oberlin is led by vile, disgusting people. |
Posted by: Lex 2019-09-01 10:39 |
#7 Fine..hold the trial and let the fines double to $88M with Oberlin paying the court costs. You want to double down? You got it. |
Posted by: Warthog 2019-09-01 10:31 |
#6 There are potential criminal charges against the admin. Just do it. |
Posted by: Varmint Splat1454 2019-09-01 09:14 |
#5 For them it's a matter of principulzz. They can find funding to fight a thousand cases until it rules their way, but not to pay up. |
Posted by: Dron66046 2019-09-01 07:55 |
#4 They're Lefties. They won't give up till they are dead. In the end there can be only one. |
Posted by: Procopius2k 2019-09-01 07:33 |
#3 incorrect and over-broad instructions by Miraldi I'm no legal expert, but telling the judge 'you fucked up' is not the most solid of bases on which to pin your appeal. |
Posted by: Raj 2019-09-01 07:08 |
#2 ...So they haven't come up with the bond yet, eh? Mike |
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2019-09-01 07:02 |
#1 A disturbing summary of this insane affair, by a former Oberlin prof who headed up the Jewish Studies department for two decades, writing in the right-of-center, usually-sane journal Commentary, is here |
Posted by: Lex 2019-09-01 01:40 |