From the AP:
A federal jury sided with Ventura in his lawsuit against “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle, who was killed last year in Texas. Though Ventura honed a tough-guy reputation as a pro wrestler and action movie actor, he maintained the legal battle was about clearing his name among his beloved fellow Navy SEALs, not about losing a supposed fight.
Kyle — reputed to be the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history — said in his memoir that he punched Ventura in California in 2006 after Ventura said the SEALs “deserved to lose a few” in Iraq. Ventura disputed that the confrontation, including the punch, ever happened.
An 8-2 jury awarded Ventura $500,000 for defamation and $1.3 million under the theory of unjust enrichment, saying that a portion of Kyle’s profits from his book were gained at the expense of Ventura’s reputation.
After threats of a hung jury plagued the courtroom, lawyers on both sides agreed to accept a verdict if 8 of the jurors agreed as to the result. Although it’s likely that the unjust enrichment portion of the damages will be paid by publisher HarperCollins’ insurance policy, Ventura’s attorneys are expected to go one step further by demanding HarperCollins remove the disputed section from Kyle’s book.
Now, to be fair, I’ve not read the book, nor do I know either of the litigants. I originally liked Mr. Ventura, he being a former Navy Seal and all, and a self-professed libertarian.
Then, it appeared he went off the deep end, consorting with the likes of Oliver Stone’s son and others more comfortable with communists than lovers of freedom. And his whack-job TV show Conspiracy Theory bore this out.
And now this.
h/t Legal Insurrection
Guffaw in AZ 
He lost any honor or respect he may have otherwise earned during his stint in UDT by his actions in pursuing his suit against the family of a brother-in-arms. You don’t mess with other brothers’ families. And it’s not like he’s saying anything about giving the money back, or donating it to charity, or …
He’s a buffoon, and his actions bear that out.
Posted by Rev. Paul | August 1, 2014, 8:40 amCorrection: not “buffoon”. Boor.
Posted by Rev. Paul | August 1, 2014, 8:41 amWhen I get back to the house, I’ll make the necessary changes. 😊
Posted by guffaw1952 | August 1, 2014, 9:03 amI now have more respect for the late Michael Jackson than I do for Ventura. He has to look up to see pond scum.
Posted by Murphy's Law | August 1, 2014, 9:19 amI completely concur.
Posted by guffaw1952 | August 1, 2014, 11:40 amNO respect here either…
Posted by Old NFO | August 1, 2014, 9:25 amAs the good Rev. Says he Is a boor.
Posted by guffaw1952 | August 1, 2014, 1:57 pmI think that the jury had to weigh in on some interesting points.
Chris Kyle claimed to have shot 30 looters from on top of the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. No record or physical evidence supports this claim.
Chris Kyle claimed to have shot two men attempting to carjack him in Texas. No record or physical evidence has ever been produced to support this claim, despite multiple journalists looking into it.
Chris Kyle claimed to have punched Jesse Ventura in a bar after Jesse badmouthed President Bush and a dead SEAL. No record or physical evidence of this event has ever surfaced to corroborate Chris Kyle’s version of events other than a secondhand account that “some waitress said” story.
Now I’m not saying Chris Kyle is a liar, I’m just saying that Soldiers and Sailors don’t always let the facts get in the way of a good war story. But all of Chris Kyle’s SEAL buddies repeat his stories as if they are truth, why not?
As a side question, when was the last time you heard of a celebrity winning an anti-defamation suit against anyone? That alone should stop and make someone ponder the legal merits of Jesse Ventura’s legal standing as celebrities generally don’t fair well in anti-defamation suits.
Anyways, the big take away from this is to always tell the truth, even if it doesn’t make for a good war story.
Posted by AM | August 3, 2014, 3:49 pmNot knowing the specifics, I must say good points all.
TRUTH should be the ultimate arbiter. Coupled with character.
I think a token smaller award and conciliatory public statement would show character.
Of course, we’ll never know the truth.
Posted by guffaw1952 | August 3, 2014, 4:51 pm