Quote (LA-Leviathan @ Jan 12 2020 02:56pm)
Yes it was absolutely settled to avoid discovery, which is what happens a lot of the time. Which is unfortunate because they probably could've deep dicked CNN and got so much more then they ever could've imagined....but I am not the lawyer, who knows. Although it is possible that as part of the settlement agreement CNN offered to give information on other potential litigants. Settlements can be very interesting in regards to what you can actually receive. It's easy for me to say because I am not affected but getting to the discovery stage in a case like this is very difficult, they got there and then wasted their shot. The first time they can get discovery on one of these big ass corrupt entities, oh boy, heads will roll.
https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/research/to-settle-or-not-to-settle-that-is-the-question.htmlQuote
Benefits of Settling a Case
There are many benefits to settlement of a legal dispute or lawsuit, for instance:
Expense. Trials involve attorneys, expert witnesses, extensive depositions during the discovery process, travel, and time. If a case settles before going to trial, many of these expenses can be significantly reduced or eliminated altogether.
Stress. Settlement may reduce some of the stress that a trial can bring on. Besides the anticipation of the unknown result to come, both sides of a lawsuit might fear getting on the witness stand and telling their story to a judge and jury, then being subject to cross-examination by the other side's attorney.
Privacy. Details of a civil case can be kept private when settled. When you take a case to trial, the court documents become a public record, and anyone can look at them, unless the judge orders the records sealed. When you settle a case, most of the details are kept out of the court documents, and aren't a public record. Many settlement agreements also incorporate a confidentiality clause.
Predictability. Any trial lawyer will tell you that a jury's decision isn't the easiest thing in the world to predict. By contrast, you can dictate the terms of your settlement agreement, or at least work with the other side to come up with a deal you can both live with.
Finality. The losing party can appeal a court judgment, dragging out the process even longer. Settlements can't usually be appealed.
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Who Decides?
When considering the terms of a settlement, as part of his or her role as counsel and advocate, your lawyer will analyze whether the settlement is actually in your best interest. In rare instances a lawyer might seek quick finality to a case and pressure a client to accept a settlement, but a good lawyer will weigh all aspects of the proposed settlement and whether it will adequately compensate the client's losses. A good lawyer will also recognize that the ultimate decision on whether or not to settle belongs to the client.
this is a high-school student walking away with millions of dollars, and already will have a lot of his time consumed by the WaPo and NBC cases. (there's more cases too, but smaller money amounts)
i can't really blame him.
This post was edited by tagged4nothing on Jan 12 2020 02:27pm