WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a former lawyer for the state of Michigan who lost a defamation lawsuit filed by a gay student at the University of Michigan.
The justices recently let stand a lower court ruling that upheld a $3.5 million jury award to Chris Armstrong, a former student government president.
Andrew Shirvell was fired as assistant attorney general in 2010 for waging an anti-gay campaign against Armstrong, who accused him of stalking and defaming him on an anti-gay blog and elsewhere.
A federal appeals court rejected Shirvell’s request for a new trial, but reduced the jury’s award by $1 million, making it $3.5 million.
Shirvell says he was exercising free speech rights and claimed his comments were protected because Armstrong is a public figure.
- Posted November 10, 2015
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Court won't hear appeal in anti-gay defamation lawsuit
headlines Macomb
headlines National
- 50 Years of Service: ABA has been a ‘stalwart ally’ for LSC funding
- ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
- Biden recalls time he bluffed knowledge of torts case and why he changed his mind about civil-trial work
- Lawyers’ ‘barrage of personal attacks’ on opponents started with tissue-box toss, appeals court says
- Longtime prosecutor resigns after judge tosses him from case, citing Perry Mason-type revelations
- 24% of law students expect to work in public service, survey says