PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Last week, the experts were invited to a session in high-stakes CNN defamation trial brought by US Navy veteran Zachary Young, ending the first week of courtroom showdowns.
Young claims CNN defamed him in a November 2021 report that first aired on “The Lead with Jake Tapper” suggesting he illegally profited from desperate people trying to flee Afghanistan after Biden administration military retirement, implying that he was involved in “black market” dealings and ruined his professional reputation as a result.
The first expert witness, Maj. Gen. James V. Young (no relation to the plaintiff), testified that he thought the prices the plaintiff charged the evacuation corporations were “reasonable” after CNN called such prices “exorbitant.”
“We couldn’t have done what we did for free,” Maj. Gen. Young said.
Army Maj. Gen. James V. Young, who is not related to the plaintiff, testified that he would not hire Zachary Young after CNN aired its report on him, telling the jury that it would be “too risky” to associate with him. (Fox News Digital/Law & Crime)
Maj. Gen. Young suggested that he would have hired the prosecutor because he would be considered “the best of the best” if he had worked with high-profile intelligence chiefs such as Leon Panetta and Jeremy Bash, who were named as leaders of the project to which Young testified. that he was working. But after the CNN report, he testified that he would not have hired him.
“I would see someone like this as being too risky for our operation to be associated with,” said Maj. Gen. Young.
CNN’s lead attorney David Axelrod (not to be confused with CNN commentator David Axelrod) grilled Maj. Gen. Young about whether he had inquired about the prosecutor’s qualifications with anyone in the military or intelligence community before the trial, which he acknowledged that it is not. He also testified that he never met plaintiff or had any knowledge of him and that he was paid to speak as an expert witness on behalf of Zachary Young.
Another expert, Richard Bolko, a Florida-based CPA who was hired by Young’s legal team to assess his financial losses after the CNN report, estimated that the Navy veteran has lost more than $21 million in income since then.
Axelrod challenged Bolk’s methodology in his number crunching and chided him for his lack of knowledge of Young’s financial prospects, which he had set before CNN’s report aired. He also got Bolko to admit that there is a lot of “uncertainty” with his model.
Richard Bolko, a certified public accountant hired by Young’s legal team, testified that he estimated the Navy veteran lost more than $21 million, a figure CNN’s defense team disputed. (Fox News Digital/Law and Crime)
The third expert, University of Houston professor and clinical psychologist dr. John Vincent, paid for Young’s legal team to conduct a “psychological evaluation” on him. Vincent said he concluded that Young suffered from “major depressive disorder” and “another specific trauma- and stress-related disorder.” He testified that the diagnoses were caused by the “influence” of CNN’s on-air report.
Vincent said Young had a “panicky act” after the CNN segment and testified he didn’t think the prosecutor was exaggerating or faking his trauma.
“He really freaked out,” testified Vincent. “I think he was devastated by this experience… It’s clear he’s still struggling to this day.”
Clinical psychologist dr. John Vincent testified that Zachary Young suffered from depression and other traumatic disorders caused by the “impact” of the CNN segment. (Fox News Digital/Law and Crime)
Axelrod began his cross-examination by emphasizing that Vincent diagnosed Young well after CNN first published its report in November 2021, and took Young at his word about his symptoms.
CNN’s general counsel later asked a series of questions suggesting that Vincent knew why Young’s legal team had hired him, implying that the network had caused the plaintiff’s trauma. Vincent acknowledged the intent outlined by Young’s attorneys. He also acknowledged to Axelrod that patients could be encouraged to exaggerate their symptoms if they were involved in a lawsuit like Young’s case against CNN.
In addition, Vincent admitted that he only had one virtual conversation with Young for approximately “four to five hours.”
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Alex Marquardt, the correspondent who anchored the CNN segment at the center of the defamation case, is scheduled to testify Monday.
A CNN spokesman said last week of the trial: “When all the facts come out, we are confident that we will have a verdict in our favor.”
The trial is broadcast live Fox News Digital.
