Idaho jury hits Bundy, defendants with tens of millions in damages in St. Luke's lawsuit

[Nevilledog]

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/community/boise/article277544733.html

Fourteen months after St. Luke’s filed a defamation lawsuit against Ammon Bundy and another far-right activist, the case has reached a conclusion.

The 12 jurors deciding damages in the civil action filed back into the courtroom early Monday evening to announce what Bundy, close associate Diego Rodriguez and their various entities would be ordered to pay the health system and other plaintiffs.

The verdict: a total of $26.5 million in compensatory damages and $26 million in punitive damages. Compensatory damages are intended to compensate plaintiffs for losses experienced because of defendants’ actions and punitive damages are to punish defendants for their actions.

St. Luke’s attorney Erik Stidham told the jury on Friday that he thought $37 million would be the fairest number for compensatory damages and $16 million should be the minimum amount considered. He did not suggest an amount for punitive damages.

*snip*

[Takket]

1. now what happens?

Bundy and his scumbag partners obviously are not going to write a check or obey a court order... so what does that mean? Can the court seize his bank accounts? Order his arrest? If they send the cops to pick him up, this will end in bloodshed.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

6. bankruptcy probably

[Major Nikon]

43. Pretty sure he was already effectively bankrupt

The problem he will have is bankruptcy won’t always spare you from civil court claims. When fraud or malice is involved a bankruptcy court may not discharge that debt. He could be looking at losing everything he will ever have for a very long time even if he does file.

[cab67]

10. nothing

Bundy doesn't give two shits about this verdict.

He's got enough gravitas in Idaho to make sure he's not held liable.

[Maraya1969]

12. Some say that about tfg but look, the E Jean Carroll

And the criminal cases before him.

I bet if he doesn't pay up they can throw him in jail right?

[blueknight73]

33. I don't believe

They can jail him as this is a civil suit. I think they can eventually seize all his property

[Diraven]

38. Has he actually paid Carroll?

I'd bet anything he hast paid a dime yet

[GarColga]

17. I don't get that. He clearly has been held liable.

The question is, what's next?

[The Conductor]

24. That's What He Thinks...

No loans, no credit, bank accounts and property legally seized and inability to leave the country. All that and more on the New Price Is Wrong!

Only a complete dope would "not participate" in a civil trial against them, because that is always a loss. Even Trump mounts a defense, as when sued by E. Jean Carroll. (Yes, it was an insane and lame defense from the very few, bottom tier lawyers he can still con, but it was a recognition that failure to appear is an instant summary judgement.) Bundy didn't even do that, and so he will be vacuumed out, financially speaking. He can't keep it all under his mattress, and anything anywhere out of his control is fair game. With ranch land prices in Idaho at around $4,000 an acre, that alone is 10 square miles of land. Having not even appeared, he doesn't have even the basic grounds for an appeal.

[GoodRaisin]

31. Take everything but his right wing cowboy hat.

lol

[MyOwnPeace]

40. At least he'll still have "SOMETHING"......

to 's**t' in!

[progressoid]

2. Excellent.

[Drum]

3. I'm Drum, and I approve this message

[KPN]

8. "I'm Drum and ...". Love it!

[UTUSN]

4. Woo-HOO! - did the a-holes bother to attend *this* hearing? - not that they'll ever pay

[Botany]

5. $52.5 million in penalties

That will leave a mark

[soldierant]

18. Yes - and is it a coincidence

that the sum of thir attorney's high and low recomendations is $53 million?

Seems awfully close. I realize the attorney did not suggst a punitive amount. But it still seems close.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

7. A thoroughly satisfying read

Do yourself a favor and read it if you are not familiar with the story.

[Maru Kitteh]

9. "If I'm wrong I need therapy "

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/crime/local-if-im-wrong-i-need-therapy-ammon-bundy-responds-to-st-lukes-legal-action/277-0e9b012a-1de2-4fc3-81f1-35a2a78f1b07


😂🤣😆

I guess you do!


And some money.

[efhmc]

28. The idea of Bundy being harrassed is ludicrous.

[yonder]

37. Bundy gems from link:

Bundy continues to push back. He said doxing the people involved in the "Baby Cyrus" case is the only accountability they have gotten from taking babies from loving parents. He said he will continue to name names and that, according to him, the Bible encourages defamation.

"St. Luke's: I get to speak my mind. I get to say what I want to. And I don't get to damage you, but I get to say what I want," Bundy said in a YouTube video posted Thursday afternoon. "But you're using the courts to basically destroy me because I spoke out bad against you. And you're lying, you're flat out lying Chris Roth and Erik Stidham. You're saying hat Diego and I did these things for gain to get money and to get donations and to get subscribers. That's just such a bunch of garbage, it's a flat out lie and you know it. There was only one thing that we were after. One thing. And that is to get that little baby back to his mother."

Bundy claims he isn't violent, and is just expressing his right to free speech by protesting and legally doxing people.

"I've never hurt or harmed anybody ever," Bundy said. "Yet I am treated by the law and many others like I'm some crazy person with some weird far out ideals."

[Jacson6]

11. We need to return to debtor prisons

Having these million and billion dollar judgments have no meaning if the people that are found liable can ignore them. Give them 30 days to pay after all of their appeals are denied and then lock them up if they don't pay the judgment.

[markodochartaigh]

16. I think that debtor prisons would be a concept

uniquely adapted to the US Experience™. We all know that medical debt is the biggest cause of bankruptcy in the US. And, of course, medical care is provided to prisoners. So when Grandma's house value has gone to zero to pay for her cancer therapy, just convict her of destitution, chain her to the hospital bed, and let her knit doilies to pay off her debt.

/s

[Boomerproud]

23. No.

[inthewind21]

27. Seriously?

This is your suggestion.

[blueknight73]

34. NO!

They would only put poor people and gay people in jail, even if they only owed someone 500 dollars

[Jacson6]

39. No. We could put a cap on what would be a violation. Let's say $100k minimum

We just want to put the Alex Jones and his ilk in jail until they pay off their debts.

[PatSeg]

13. I didn't even know about this case

It is so hard keeping up with these nutjobs. I don't suppose this will shut Bundy up, but we can always hope.

[Bev54]

14. See juries in red states still rule against some of these assholes.

[DENVERPOPS]

15. Only until the case gets appealed

to an appellate court with a Trump/Republican appointed Judge...........

Or if need be, to the US Supreme Republican Court

[soldierant]

19. SCROTUS

Supreme Court Republican of the United States

Not original to me, but seems to fit.

[blueknight73]

35. Can they even appeal

If he didn't show up for court?

[peggysue2]

36. That was my initial thought as well, Bev

This case was decided in Idaho, a hotbed of extremist groups/beliefs. This jury did good (as in, its job) and slammed the likes of Bundy and his cohort. Actually gives me a modicum of hope for future decisions despite the political polarization we're currently experiencing.

[VGNonly]

20. He might just disappear

into the Salmon River backcountry or the Arizona Strip, never to be found.

[moniss]

21. Since this is a state case

any refusal by Bundy to pay will fall under Idaho law regarding execution of judgement, mandatory financial disclosures at hearings etc. All states have varying laws about this and some income is exempt like Social Security, disability income etc. and certain property exemptions can exist to protect assets from seizure. However these proceedings and determinations all take place in court hearings etc. and if a defendant fails to show up the judge can issue an arrest warrant for contempt. Civil contempt warrants are looked at as a tool to coerce compliance rather than to be punitive and after a long period of months in jail a defendant can be released if the judge doesn't see any hope of compliance. Blood out of a rock sort of thing. I believe some states have limits on the length of incarceration under civil contempt warrants. But once released a new order for a hearing date can be entered and then we start the contempt process over again.

When a hearing is scheduled for disclosure of financial information they usually send the defendant asset disclosure forms to fill out ahead of time and provide back to the plaintiffs and the court. Refusing to list assets and just entering zeros and sending it in isn't an option and showing up in court and stonewalling won't get you anywhere. Defendants do try all of these kinds of things and try dodging by transferring assets to relatives etc. but that is not going to fly either. Civil contempt arrest will always be available. That's if you get cops willing to do their job and arrest him. My guess is he may already be planning to flee to another state and then another and another while keeping actual control of the money by "proxy".

[stopdiggin]

22. thanks. a much more coherent and grounded look

a what most likely comes next.

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

32. Remember Breaking Bad?

He can't be like Walter and live in a shack with barrels of money forever! Enough reward offer or a mistake and he's gonna get caught.

[Martin68]

25. It pisses me off the Bundy isn't in prison for his armed standoff with there FBI on federal land.

If he actually has to pay this money I'll be pleased but not satisfied. Does anyone think he'll actually pay?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

26. Good

[MayReasonRule]

29. Damn Skippy!

That’s a decent start towards assuaging the harms already inflicted and the harms still yet to come.

I like it.

[republianmushroom]

30. I like it

[kacekwl]

41. Now they have to make sure

he pays. Unlikely.

[thatcrowwoman]

42. Good. Chickens coming on home to roost! Such a foul one, that Ammon Buddy.

Pffffttttt!
Ptui! Ptui! Ptui!
tcw