Date: 10-20-2016

Case Style: Beth Desmond v. The News & Observer Publishing Company and Mandy Locke

Case Number:

Judge: A. Graham Shirley II

Court: Superior Court, Wake County, North Carolina

Plaintiff's Attorney: James Johnson

Defendant's Attorney: Mark Prak

Description: Raleigh, NC - Jury Awards North Carolina State Employee $7.5 Million on Defamation Claim

Beth Desmond sued Raleigh, North Carolina The News & Observer and Mandy Locke on defamation theories claiming that she was injured and damaged as a direct result of a newspaper article written by Locke and published by The News & Observer in 2010.

The article in question criticized Plaintiff's analysis and testimony in a 2006 murder trial in Pitt County. The N&O had reported that independent firearms experts questioned whether she knew anything about firearms analysis, and that some suspected she fabricated evidence to help Pitt County prosecutors win a murder conviction.

Defendants claimed truth as their defense.

Outcome: Plaintiff's verdict for $7.5 million including $1.5 million in compensatory damages.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: Editor's Note: North Carolina caps punitive damages at 3 times compensatory damages.