Key facts
- A jury awarded Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Jefferson Davis Hughes III $300,000 in damages.
- The award was for defamation related to a 2019 editorial by The Advocate newspaper.
- The editorial concerned Hughes' handling of a 1998 child custody case.
- Hughes, as a public figure, had to prove "actual malice" to win the case.
- The awarded amount was significantly less than the $10 million sought by Hughes.
A jury has awarded Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Jefferson Davis Hughes III $300,000 in a defamation lawsuit against The Advocate newspaper. The verdict came after jurors found that a 2019 editorial, which questioned Hughes' handling of a 1998 child custody case, defamed him. As a public figure, Hughes was required to prove "actual malice" in the case.
The awarded damages were substantially less than the $10 million Hughes had sought for alleged injury to his reputation and emotional distress. The editorial focused on how Hughes managed a custody battle where a lawyer on the opposing side, Berkley Durbin, was reportedly romantically involved with him. Testimony indicated the newspaper's editor-in-chief at the time, Peter Kovacs, accused Hughes and his attorneys of telling "Russian lies" and that the newspaper perceived Hughes to have serious credibility issues.
The judge presiding over the trial, Kevin Kimball, had previously ruled that Hughes could demonstrate the newspaper showed a "reckless disregard for the truth." The jury deliberated for 45 minutes before reaching their decision. The newspaper's representatives testified that they took steps to ensure accuracy, though the paper took years to clarify the timeline in an editor's note. It remains unclear if The Advocate intends to appeal the verdict.