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(Washington, D.C.) –Jurors awarded more than $25 million in damages to plaintiffs in Sines v. Kessler, a suit seeking to hold the organizers of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville accountable for violence that left numerous people injured and one person dead. Defendants, neo-Nazis and white supremacist leaders of the alt-right, were found liable under state law for injuries to counter protesters.

Plaintiffs included nine individuals who were injured during the violent gathering. Plaintiffs courageously took to the stand to detail their injuries and the impact of the hateful violence on their lives.

The following is a statement from Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:

“We commend the plaintiffs and their counsel for their courage and tenacity in bringing and winning this groundbreaking case. Today’s verdict sends a message that white supremacists and other perpetrators of racist violence will be held accountable – both for their violent actions and for conspiring to deny civil rights. Either way, hate is a no-win proposition.”

 

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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes.  For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.