Opinion ID: 3063679
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Testimony regarding the fliers

Text: At trial, evidence regarding the production of the campaign fliers consisted mostly of testimony from Gerard Petrotto, Hendrix’s public information officer, and Jason Williams, Hendrix’s campaign consultant, as well as Hendrix himself. The process of creating the fliers began at a meeting attended by Hendrix, Hendrix’s wife, Singletary, Petrotto, and Williams in July 2000. At that meeting, Hendrix produced 60 to 70 manila files containing arrest information and mug shots of certain individuals. One of the mug shots was of Bennett, whom Hendrix called “wild-haired boy.” Hendrix obtained this arrest information from sheriff’s department records. He testified he had heard some of Paxton’s financial contributors had “some skirmishes with the law.” Acting upon this information, Hendrix asked the voter registrar for a list of Paxton’s contributors. He took the names to Waters and told Waters to have someone run the names through the sheriff’s department computer system to see if any of Paxton’s contributors had records. Per Hendrix’s orders, two individuals in the sheriff’s department, Marilyn Dressler Smith and Jamie Brumbelow, searched the department’s records for information on Bennett and Reid. The searches on Bennett and Reid turned up records of arrests for both men 14 in 1995 for refusing to obey a stop work order and for obstruction; those charges were ultimately dismissed as to both men. Sometime after the July meeting, Williams suggested using the mug shots in campaign fliers. Hendrix, Petrotto, and Williams all testified Williams chose the wording and generated ideas for the fliers. According to Hendrix, “[E]verything on the fliers [Williams] developed and placed on there. It was his idea, his creation.” At the same time, however, Hendrix played an “active part” in creating the fliers and came up with his own ideas. Petrotto testified Williams would create drafts of the fliers, email them to Petrotto, and Petrotto would print them for Hendrix’s review. Hendrix approved all the fliers through Petrotto. Hendrix testified he saw the final proofs of the fliers before they were mailed and made the decisions whether to change them and whether to mail them. Ultimately, Hendrix claimed full responsibility for his campaign and the fliers. On the stand, Hendrix also testified he did not believe Bennett and Reid were convicted criminals: Q: You knew by your definition, the way you defined criminal, as of August of 2000, you never thought that Mr. Reid or Mr. Bennett were criminals? A: I believe that to be correct. 15 He stated he knew the fliers would likely hurt their reputations. Hendrix added he believed it was “very possible” someone could look at the front of Plaintiffs’ Exhibit 2, which features a mug shot of Bennett and the text of “Should a Candidate for Sheriff finance his campaign using cash from convicted criminals?” and think Bennett was a convicted criminal. He admitted he thought the fliers were harsh and he might get sued. Other members of Hendrix’s campaign staff had concerns regarding the fliers. Petrotto testified he was particularly troubled by the front of Plaintiffs’ Exhibit 2. Petrotto sent Williams an email on July 24, 2000, suggesting a change in the text to “Should a candidate for Sheriff finance his campaign from convicted criminals or those arrested for violating Georgia Criminal Code?” According to Petrotto, Hendrix wanted to make the change, but, for some reason, it was not made. Williams, however, testified he had a conversation with Hendrix’s campaign about omitting the extra language, and the campaign agreed to leave it out. Williams did not remember whether Hendrix personally agreed or not. Petrotto thought the fliers might result in a lawsuit and suggested Hendrix have an attorney review the fliers. Similarly, Williams told Petrotto that Hendrix would be sued over the fliers. Mark Hoffman, who was a major in the sheriff’s 16 department under Hendrix, testified there was concern at sheriff’s department command staff meetings the fliers might result in lawsuits. The fliers were mailed on August 2, 3, and 4, 2000. Afterward, Bennett and Reid testified they became the subject of a number of jokes. A shareholder of a bank on whose board Bennett and Reid served also notified the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance regarding the allegations in the fliers. In response to the shareholder’s letter, the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance contacted the president and CEO of the bank, requesting the bank provide the department with information regarding the validity of the allegations. The bank informed the department the charges against Bennett and Reid to which the fliers referred were dismissed and maintained Bennett and Reid “were victims of malicious political mailings.” Its response was apparently the end of the matter, and both men continued to serve as directors of the bank. 3. The jury verdict After nine days of testimony, the district court finally gave the case to the jury on April 27, 2007. In its charge, the court articulated the elements needed to prove a First Amendment retaliation claim and also instructed the jury regarding conspiracy liability under § 1983. With respect to the state law libel claims against Hendrix, the district court informed the jury the plaintiffs were private 17 figures and thus an ordinary standard of care applied in determining liability. Consistent with its February 2002 order, the court further instructed the jury that “publication of the campaign fliers was not action under color of state law and may not be considered by you as acts of retaliation for the Plaintiffs’ First Amendment retaliation claims.” The district court judge gave the jury a general verdict form, which listed the § 1983 First Amendment retaliation claims against Hendrix, Singletary, and Waters, and the state law libel claims against Hendrix. On May 4, 2007, the jury returned its verdicts. With respect to Bennett’s § 1983 First Amendment retaliation claims, the jury found Hendrix liable for $930,000 in compensatory damages and $1,030,000 in punitive damages. Singletary was found liable for $400,000 in compensatory damages and $455,000 in punitive damages. The jury found in favor of Waters on Bennett’s § 1983 First Amendment retaliation claim. Meanwhile, the jury was hung as to Reid’s § 1983 First Amendment retaliation claims against all three defendants. Regarding the state law libel claims, the jury returned a verdict in favor of both Bennett and Reid against Hendrix, awarding Bennett $3,600,000 in damages and Reid $3,100,000 in damages. 18 4. The district court’s judgment as a matter of law in favor of the defendants At the conclusion of the plaintiffs’ case, the defendants moved for judgment as a matter of law under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50(a). The district court deemed the motion timely but recommended postponing argument. The defendants agreed and made their arguments for judgment as a matter of law at the close of evidence, at which time the district court denied the motion as to the state law libel claims against Hendrix and took under advisement the motion as to the § 1983 First Amendment retaliation claims, allowing the case to proceed to the jury. After the jury verdict, however, the district court granted Hendrix, Singletary, and Waters judgment as a matter of law on the § 1983 First Amendment retaliation claims, basing its decision on qualified immunity. Ruling from the bench, the court went through each of the alleged acts of retaliation this Court considered in its 2005 decision and noted “a complete failure to produce evidence” of participation by Hendrix, Singletary, or Waters in the acts: There was a lot of evidence, of hearsay, of gossip, of rumor, of innuendo, of reckless talk. But in terms of actual proof of something being done to these Plaintiffs by these Defendants, there was nothing. And for those reasons, I don’t believe that the Plaintiffs have shown a violation of their constitutional rights; and I think the Defendants are entitled to qualified immunity. 19 On May 17, 2007, Hendrix renewed his motion for judgment as a matter of law under Rule 50(b) to challenge the judgment against him on the libel claims. On November 9, 2007, the district court granted Hendrix’s motion, finding the campaign fliers were “loaded with innuendo, half truths, and rhetorical hyperbole” and protected by the First Amendment. After reciting numerous examples of inflammatory campaign speech from our nation’s history, the court concluded the fliers “were political speech of the highest order and deserving of the highest protection.” Bennett and Reid appealed to this Court.