Readers of the blog likely recall this lawsuit, brought by climate scientist Michael Mann against columnist Mark Steyn, blogger Rand Simberg, the National Review, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute (see our various posts on the subject). The National Review and CEI had been granted summary judgment in 2021, but in January 2024, the jury found Steyn and Simberg liable for defamation, to the tune of $1 compensatory damages + $1M punitives against Steyn, and $1 compensatory + $1K punitives against Simberg.
But the trial judge then reduced those punitive damages to $5K. The trial judge also ordered Mann to pay defendants $1M in attorney fees ($530K to the National Review and $477K to Simberg) under D.C.'s anti-SLAPP statute, based on defendants' having gotten some of Mann's claims dismissed. Afterwards, Mann and the National Review settled their dispute; Mann agreed to drop his claims, dismissing his appeal of the judgment, in exchange for National Review agreeing to waive the $530K in attorney fees.
