Jury: North Minneapolis Blogger Must Pay $60K in Damages

A jury says a north Minneapolis, Minn., blogger must pay $60,000 in damages to a community leader who was fired from the University of Minnesota after a blog post.

The Hennepin County civil jury found that an “Adventures of Johnny Northside” blog post in June 2009 resulted in Jerry Moore’s firing from the university.

The Star Tribune reported the seven-member jury determined that blogger John Hoff must pay Moore $35,000 in damages for loss of wages and an additional $25,000 for emotional distress.

Moore was hired at the University of Minnesota Urban Outreach and Outreach/Engagement Center. When Hoff found out, he wrote a post accusing Moore of involvement in a “high-profile fraudulent mortgage.” Moore was not charged in that case.

Moore alleged the blog post was untrue and got him fired. Hoff contended the post is true.

Moore told The Associated Press he is “very pleased” with the jury award. While Moore says he believes in free speech, he says the verdict shows “that there’s a line that needs to be drawn.”

Hoff’s attorney said he would not comment until he spoke to his client.

Information from: Star Tribune