Two alleged Antifa members were "not liable" for attacks on investigative journalist Andy Ngo, a Portland jury found.
Was the jury intimidated by Antifa tactics?
Human Events editor Jack Posobiec posted on social media: "The judge in the Andy Ngo trial just admitted that jurors reported Antifa was trying to dox them. A journalist was accosted by Antifa *inside the courthouse*
The jury said defendants John Colin Hacker and Elizabeth Renee Richter were not liable, the Post Millennial reported on Tuesday.
According to Ngo's lawsuit, on May 7, 2019, Hacker splashed an unknown liquid onto Ngo at a local gym, and then forcibly took the journalist's phone. When Hacker refused to release the phone, gym employees allegedly interfered and returned the phone to Ngo. According to plaintiff Ngo, management later terminated Hacker's gym membership. Hacker testified that these allegations were true.
On May 28, 2021, Hacker allegedly took part in actions that led to Ngo being beaten by an Antifa mob. On that day, Ngo was monitoring Antifa attacks on the Portland Justice Center and the Portland police central precinct when Hacker allegedly approached him. The Antifa mob then yelled, "That's Andy! Get him! Get him!" Hacker testified that he approached Ngo and identified him to another journalist.
Ngo said he survived one street beating, which was captured on security tape and was able to flee and ended up at The Nines Hotel in Portland. Defendant Richter pursued Ngo into the hotel before being turned away by hotel officials. Richter then backed out, video shows.
Richter is seen on video screaming to Ngo, "I can't wait for you to come out, Andy!" Richter is accused of livesreaming and broadcasting video of Ngo in the hotel after he had been brutally beaten by his assailants, describing his location inside the hotel, and verbally encouraging more assaults on Ngo. Video evidence of this was provided during trial.
While defendants Hacker and Richter were found "not liable" by the jury, Ngo's complaint included four other Antifa members who have been found in default, and their damages will be decided by Judge Sinapalasi after the main trial. Ngo is seeking $1 million in damages.
Human Events Editor Jack Posobiec posted on Telegram:
The judge in the Andy Ngo trial just admitted that jurors reported Antifa was trying to dox them. A journalist was accosted by Antifa *inside the courthouse*. You think they won’t threaten Trump jurors too? Understand where we are heading.
Results like the Andy Ngo ruling today show the nature of the fight for 2024, if you don't have the guts for that fight, get out of the way. This isn’t the time for a policy debate. Marquess of Queensberry Republicans aren’t built for this.
Subsequently Posobiec posted photos of the car belonging to the Post Millennial journalist who was covering the trial:Windows shattered, items stolen. And she was not parked near the courthouse. Antifa threatened her inside the courthouse too.
During closing statements, defense lawyer Michelle Burrows told the jurors she identifies as progressive and “anti-fascist” and then declared: "I am Antifa."Burrows told the jury that Antifa's unfavorable reputation is untrue and depicted the organized militant group as activists fighting for social justice and civil rights, adding that "resistance in this country has never been peaceful."
The defense attorney went on to say that Ngo has dirty hands as a "doxxer" who uploads publicly available mugshots of Antifa-affiliated individuals that have committed crimes on his Twitter account, which has over one million followers.
In addition, Burrows said that since the U.S. has an "unregulated Internet," Ngo needs to "take responsibility" for the words he says on the Internet, and added that his "conduct has not been pristine." She also attacked Ngo's credibility as a journalist despite providing the jury with no evidence of the allegations that would have discredited him, other than saying that he's a "liar" that provides "half-truths."
The defendants were accused by Ngo of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, which was argued before a civil jury for more than a week at the Multnomah County Courthouse, the Post Millennial reported on Aug. 8.
When we started @Liberty_Ctr to stand up for the first amendment and other civil rights of clients who would otherwise have gone unrepresented, @MrAndyNgo's case was the first one we took. Antifa thugs had repeatedly used violence in Portland to intimidate and silence journalists… https://t.co/mVKxphDsCf
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) August 9, 2023
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