Sines v. Kessler

Sines v. Kessler
Seal of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
CourtUnited States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
Full case name Sines et al v. Kessler et al
DecidedNovember 23, 2021 (2021-11-23)
CitationsNo. 3:17-cv-00072
324 F. Supp. 3d 765 (W.D. Va. 2018)
339 F.R.D. 96 (W.D. Va. 2021)
558 F. Supp. 3d 250 (W.D. Va. 2021)
Court membership
Judge sittingNorman K. Moon

Sines v. Kessler was a civil lawsuit against various organizers, promoters, and participants in the Unite the Right rally, a white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017. The trial began in October 2021, and on November 23, the jury reached a mixed verdict in which they found various defendants liable on claims of civil conspiracy and race-based harassment or violence. They also found James A. Fields Jr., the perpetrator of the car attack against counterprotesters at the rally, liable for assault and battery and intentional infliction of harm. Altogether, the jury awarded the plaintiffs more than $25 million in punitive and compensatory damages,[1][2] though this was later reduced by the judge to $2.35 million.[3]

The lawsuit was originally filed on October 11, 2017 by nine plaintiffs against 14 individuals and 10 organizations.[4] Defendants included Jason Kessler, Richard B. Spencer, and Christopher Cantwell, as well as white supremacist and neo-Nazi organizations such as Identity Evropa and Vanguard America.[5][6]

  1. ^ Paul, Deanna (November 23, 2021). "Charlottesville Trial Verdict: Jury Finds Prominent White Supremacist Leaders Liable". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  2. ^ Lavoie, Denise (November 23, 2021). "Jury awards millions in damages for Unite the Right violence". AP News. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  3. ^ Spencer, Hawes (January 2, 2023). "Judge trims Sines v. Kessler punitive award from $24 million to $350K". The Daily Progress. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).