CNN defamation trial: Judge forces CNN’s general counsel to apologize to accuser on the spot in courtroom
Judge William Henry forced CNN’s lawyer to apologize to the prosecutor a high-profile libel trial on Thursday during a wild morning in Bay County Court.
Judge Henry on Wednesday slammed CNN’s lead attorney, David Axelrod, and ordered him to apologize to prosecutor Zachary Young for repeatedly calling him a “liar.” Before jurors entered the room Thursday, Judge Henry asked Axelrod, who is not the CNN expert of the same name, if he had ever apologized as ordered.
“I didn’t,” Axelrod said.
“Why don’t you do that and I’ll assess whether that’s an apology … to say, ‘I’m sorry that offended you,’ that’s not an apology,” Judge Henry said.
14th Circuit Court Judge William S. Henry. (Tyler Orsburn/Gannett)
“Mr. Young, I apologize for the statements I made about the Helios contract and what it represents. I said you lied during your deposition. Your testimony was similar to what we saw in the letter to Conway and for that I apologize,” he said. is Axelrod.
Judge Henry asked Young if he accepted that.
“No, I don’t,” Young replied.
Judge Henry then explained that the Helios contract cited in Axelrod’s apology was an agreement to have a security clearance, not an agreement to get a job, so Young was being truthful in his testimony despite Axelrod calling him a “liar.”
Young, a Navy veteran, claims CNN smeared him by suggesting he made illegal money helping people flee Afghanistan on the “black market” during Biden administration military withdrawal from the country in 2021. Young believes CNN “ruined his reputation and his business” by labeling him an illegal profiteer who exploited “desperate Afghans” during a November 2021 segment.
Judge Henry instructed the lead attorneys for both sides to each owe $200 in fines Wednesday after previously imposing a $100 fine for each time an attorney personally insults the other side. The money goes to North Florida Legal Services, and the fine has been increased to $1,000 going forward.
CNN’s lead attorney, David Axelrod, angered Judge William Henry. (Jessica Costescu)
Judge Henry was also annoyed that Axelrod called him “Mr. Henry” in court and told him he took it as “just a slip” for now.
“You are now on notice that if you do it again today, I take it as a direct, deliberate, knowing offence,” Judge Henry said.
Axelrod blamed the gaffe on a “long day” and apologized.
Judge Henry also told Axelrod on Wednesday, “At this point, your credibility with me, Mr. Axelrod, is zero.”
U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young claims CNN defamed him by suggesting he made illegal money helping people flee Afghanistan on the “black market” during the Biden administration’s 2021 military withdrawal from the country. (Jessica Costescu)
When reporting on Wednesday’s drama, Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley wrote that the judge who said Axelrod lacked credibility with him took things from “bad to worse” for CNN.
“That’s never a good thing to hear from a referee. Axelrod apologized, but the damage is obviously significant,” Turley wrote.
The ongoing trial is being broadcast live here.
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