Ventura wins $1.8M from Chris Kyles estate

[Roger Bacon]

He's not actually suing the wife though. He's suing the person who is profiting on the book. It just so happens to be her. If she died tomorrow and it was the kids (Or the trust) he would sue them.

It's not Jesse's fault the dude died. Why does his life have to stop to placate people's sense of empathy for her loss of a husband?

Agree, and Jesse is also a veteran who put his life on the line.

[whork]

Agree, and Jesse is also a veteran who put his life on the line.

+1

[Jack T. Cross]

Going after a dead mans wife for something her husband said? Pretty petty, and pretty classless, especially when the guy basically built his career on a lie, the guy was never a SEAL (He was UDT, which is not at all the same thing, although he did go through SOME of the same training SEALs do)

Even if Ventura is telling the truth (which I doubt), the guy is fucking dead, just move on. Its not like everyone is going to suddenly go "Oh, he sued the widow, he must be telling the truth, I believe him now!"

The damage is done, and he's just making himself look like an ass by going after someone that had NOTHING to do with the situation.

If false and damaging information exists, it should be challenged.  There isn't a legitimate way to attach this guy's death with that fact.

[bears]

If false and damaging information exists, it should be challenged.  There isn't a legitimate way to attach this guy's death with that fact.

have to agree.  the guy dying is completely irrelevant.  if someone's telling lies about me, i'm going to challenge it.  if people are profiting from those lies, i'm going to hire attorney's to do what they can to put a stop to it. 

"i'm sorry your husband died, but his book tells lies about me, and i don't want anyone profiting from it anymore"

but i'm also totally open to the possibility that they aren't lies at all and Jesse is just trying to cover his ass.  and if thats the truth then yeah he's a scumbag.

[Soul Crusher]

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/07/29/jury-awards-ventura-1-8-in-defamation-case-against-deceased-american-sniper-chris-kyles-estate



oh boy 

[Dos Equis]

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/07/29/jury-awards-ventura-1-8-in-defamation-case-against-deceased-american-sniper-chris-kyles-estate



oh boy 

Wow.  That's awful.  If this survives on appeal, I wonder if Ventura will try and collect from the guy's family?  Ventura is such a whiney dirtbag for doing this.  I have really lost respect for the guy.   

[LurkerNoMore]

http://news.yahoo.com/jury-awards-ventura-1-8m-defamation-case-182537219.html

A jury has awarded former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura $1.8 million in his lawsuit against the estate of "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle.

The federal jury in St. Paul found Tuesday that the 2012 best-selling book libeled Ventura in describing a bar fight in California in 2006. Kyle wrote that he decked a man later identified as Ventura after the man allegedly said the Navy SEALs "deserve to lose a few."

Ventura, a former governor and professional wrestler, testified the incident never happened. Kyle insisted in testimony videotaped before he was slain last year that it did.

Both sides put witnesses on the stand during the two-week trial that backed their version of events.

Legal experts said before the trial Ventura had to clear a high legal bar to win.

[Kazan]

Well done Mr. Janos, you have done more damage to your "reputation" with this than the book ever could.

[SCRUBS]

Well done Mr. Janos, you have done more damage to your "reputation" with this than the book ever could.

That he has. Stupid is as stupid does.....

[RRKore]

Well done Mr. Janos, you have done more damage to your "reputation" with this than the book ever could.

Why?  Because the guy Kyles is dead?

[Irongrip400]

Why?  Because the guy Kyles is dead?

No, because he sued a hero because he hurt his pride. It's douchey.

[LurkerNoMore]

According to the article, he sued him before his death.  And he sued him for false claims. 

If Kyle or his witnesses had been able to prove his claims about the bar fight, he would have lost.

How can that be douchey?

[Dos Equis]

No, because he sued a hero because he hurt his pride. It's douchey.

Agree.  And all of the money from the book proceeds went to the families of two deceased service members.

Good job Jesse.   

[LurkerNoMore]

Agree.  And all of the money from the book proceeds went to the families of two deceased service members.

Good job Jesse.   

So you are saying the courts and their decision is wrong?  It's ok for a hero to tell a lie if he is doing it for the charity of others?

[Shockwave]

According to the article, he sued him before his death.  And he sued him for false claims. 

If Kyle or his witnesses had been able to prove his claims about the bar fight, he would have lost.

How can that be douchey?

Well, it did say that most of the people at the bar corroborated his story except for venturas people,  do it was he said/she said... except that kyles people had mote inconsistency, which youd expect when a large group of people trying to recall what happened in a bar fight.

And with venturas penchant for lying (he was never a SEAL, he was UDT, big fucking difference Ventura) id tend to side with Kyle and the SEAL community.

[Dos Equis]

So you are saying the courts and their decision is wrong?  It's ok for a hero to tell a lie if he is doing it for the charity of others?

The court didn't make the decision.  The jury did.  I don't fault the jury for making a decision based on the facts that were presented to them.  That's not the point.  

Just because someone can do something, doesn't mean they should.  He showed exceptionally poor judgment and incredibly thin skin for someone who used to be so tough.  What a friggin sissy.  

And to try and take money from deceased service members just shows how far he has fallen.  If this was really about clearing his "good" name, he should not try and collect the award.    

[Soul Crusher]

The SEALs are PISSED off

[Dos Equis]

Well, it did say that most of the people at the bar corroborated his story except for venturas people,  do it was he said/she said... except that kyles people had mote inconsistency, which youd expect when a large group of people trying to recall what happened in a bar fight.

And with venturas penchant for lying (he was never a SEAL, he was UDT, big fucking difference Ventura) id tend to side with Kyle and the SEAL community.

He also became a 911 Troofer, which puts him in the class with all those tinfoil hat dummies.  

[Roger Bacon]

According to the article, he sued him before his death.  And he sued him for false claims. 

If Kyle or his witnesses had been able to prove his claims about the bar fight, he would have lost.

How can that be douchey?

x2

[Soul Crusher]

x2

Jury instructions were not about whether or not a fight occured

[LurkerNoMore]

Jury instructions were not about whether or not a fight occured

The lawsuit was over defamation of character that resulted from the imaginary fight I believe.  Therefore, it would make sense that the trial would be determined on whether or not the fight actually occurred.  If it occurred the way Kyle said, it would have been an open and shut case since Ventura couldn't argue that he was defamed by something that was true.

[LurkerNoMore]

The court didn't make the decision.  The jury did.  I don't fault the jury for making a decision based on the facts that were presented to them.  That's not the point.  

Just because someone can do something, doesn't mean they should.  He showed exceptionally poor judgment and incredibly thin skin for someone who used to be so tough.  What a friggin sissy.  

And to try and take money from deceased service members just shows how far he has fallen.  If this was really about clearing his "good" name, he should not try and collect the award.    

So if I go out and write a book about how I whipped Mike Tyson's ass in Burger King, he shouldn't be allowed to sue me as long as I was donating the book sales to charity?

[Dos Equis]

So if I go out and write a book about how I whipped Mike Tyson's ass in Burger King, he shouldn't be allowed to sue me as long as I was donating the book sales to charity?

Again, you are missing the point.  The issue is not whether he could sue.  He could.  The issue is whether he should.  He should not have. 

So in your unrealistic hypothetical, yes Mike Tyson should be allowed to sue you.  Whether he should would be based on the facts of your invented hypothetical. 

I explained this in the other thread:

Completely agree. 

How big of a dirtbag is Ventura for doing this?

American Sniper became a major success, hitting No. 1 on the New York Times bestsellers' list where it remained for seven weeks.

Kyle took none of the royalties from the book, according to his publisher, William Morrow, and DeFelice.

DeFelice said Kyle donated his royalties to the families of two Navy Seals, Marc Lee and Ryan Job, who fought alongside him in a 2006 battle that led to their deaths.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/02/03/4596644/sheriff-navy-seal-and-friend-shot.html#storylink=cpy

Good job Jesse.   

This is one of those "can versus should" type of decisions.  Yes, he can do it and has the right to do so.  No, he shouldn't try and take money away from the families of veterans who gave their lives serving their country, over a few paragraphs in a book.  He really comes across as a butt-hurt sissy.   

What happened to the tough guy with one of the greatest lines in movie history, who once upset the political apple cart?  Is he on drugs or something?   

A butt-hurt sissy indeed. 

[Kazan]

From what I am getting out of the testimony is that the fact that the fight took place doesn't seem to be disputed, many witness's. The fact that it ended up in his book and made Janos look like an asshole is apparently this issue.

[LurkerNoMore]

Again, you are missing the point.  The issue is not whether he could sue.  He could.  The issue is whether he should.  He should not have. 

So in your unrealistic hypothetical, yes Mike Tyson should be allowed to sue you.  Whether he should would be based on the facts of your invented hypothetical. 

I explained this in the other thread:


A butt-hurt sissy indeed. 

If he COULD sue, then what is your problem with it?  Do you even have one or just whining for no reason.  SHOULD he sue?  If he were the average person I would say no.  But he is/was a famous public person and someone attempting to generate book sales over an (supposingly) imaginary fight that never occurred based on his name and public awareness of who he is should be sued. 

If the average person wrote a book about themselves, it wouldn't generate much interest outside of their friends and immediate family.  If that person claimed he whipped Mike Tyson, then more people would want to read it and their name recognition would increase.  Doesn't matter if the proceeds goes to charity.  They shouldn't be allowed to lie at the expense of another person's name, reputation and character.

In this case, the jury obviously felt the fight story was a lie and judged accordingly.