Court throws out $3.6 million Forsyth verdict, orders new trial
The federal appeals court in Atlanta has thrown out a $3.6 million verdict against a former Forsyth County sheriff and ordered a new trial in a defamation suit.
In the 11-year-old case, developer Danny Bennett had been awarded $3.6 million in damages on claims Dennis Lee Hendrix wrongly painted Bennett and another man as lawbreakers in 36,000 fliers sent out during Hendrix's unsuccessful re-election campaign in 2000. Because the court later ruled 24,000 of the fliers were protected by the First Amendment, a new trial on damages is needed, the court said Thursday.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
