We don’t know, because the settlements are confidential (see latest story here). The best conjectures we have are litigation experts’ educated inferences.
“Some Lawyers Think Covington Catholic’s Nick Sandmann Walked Away from Media Lawsuits with Peanuts”
“If you believe this kid got anything more than a nuisance fee settlement, you’re dreaming,” said national security law attorney Bradley P. Moss (c.v. here).
“Those with zero legal experience (as far as I can tell) should not be conjecturing on lawsuits they know nothing about,” said attorney Mark Zaid (bio here). “I’ve litigated defamation cases. Sandman was undoubtedly paid nuisance value settlement & nothing more,” he added.
“So a lot of people seem to think Sandmann won a meaningful amount of money, but every part of this, from the procedural history, the timing, the announcement, the relevant law, all of it confirms Sandmann was paid mere nuisance value.” — Respectable Lawyer (@RespectableLaw)
For a deeper dive into the legal arcana behind their reasoning, go here.
My curiosity is satisfied. How about yours?
The kid and his attorney got a check which in a civil lawsuit is a win. Sure it was nowhere near 250 million, but few would believe he would have won that much had the case gone to trial. Though I am puzzled why after nearly a year and a half after the case was settled this is now an issue to be written about. I was not curious in this closed case.
I write about lots of things you’re not curious about. You aren’t this blog’s main audience.