Brecht v. Hague

Summary

Defamation jury trial in King County, Washington. The case involved a political mailer distributed in October, 2007, during a King County Council campaign between Richard Pope and Jane Hague.

Paul Brecht had endorsed Pope. The plaintiff claimed that in response to Pope's mailer featuring Brecht's endorsement, Hague sent a mailer to approximately 24,000 households in the Bellevue area stating "Paul Brecht tops Pope's endorsement list. Brecht also tops law enforcement's list with multiple domestic violence arrests and at least one assault conviction." Plaintiff Brecht asserted that this statement was false.

Hague, who won the election, claimed that the arrests and conviction statement was based on, and supported by, publicly available records.

The jury found that the defendants did publish a defamatory statement about the plaintiff, but did not do so with knowledge of its falsity or reckless disregard with respect to its falsity.

Outcome

The jury found that the defendants had published defamatory statements but hadn't done so with knowledge or reckless disregard to its falsity.

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Brecht, Paul
Defense: Hague, Jane

Judge: John Erlick
Jurisdiction: Washington State Superior Court, King County
Court: King County Superior Court

Case Number: 07-2-34389-0
Industry: Government
Practice Area: Defamation, Tort Law, Election Law

Plaintiff

Brecht, Paul

Represented By:
Bolin, Eugene (Bolin, Eugene, Law Offices of)

Defense

Hague, Jane

Represented By:
Ellerby, Scott (Mills Meyers Swartling)
Huebner, Kasey (Mills Meyers Swartling)
Bond, Michael (Gardner Bond Trabolsi PLLC)

Expert Witnesses

Lay Witnesses

Sessions

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

AM Session

Other

6 Chapters

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:45	General Case Activities
		00:01:20	General Case Activities
		00:03:30	General Case Activities
		01:30:20	General Case Activities
		02:09:35	Voir Dire (Jury Selection)
		04:28:15	End of Session

PM Session

Other

3 Chapters

AUG

AM Session

Other

7 Chapters

PM Session

Other

8 Chapters

AUG

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

13 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:02:00	General Case Activities
00:02:10	General Case Activities
00:04:00	General Case Activities
00:08:32	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Hague, Jane	In Person
00:28:00	General Case Activities
00:29:20	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Hague, Jane	In Person
00:41:15	General Case Activities
01:20:58	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Johnson, Mark	In Person
01:55:15	Witness Cross Examination	Ellerby, Scott	Johnson, Mark	In Person
01:58:43	Witness Cross Examination	Bond, Michael	Johnson, Mark	In Person
02:04:25	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Hague, Jane	In Person
02:15:10	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Bader, Brett	In Person
02:36:00	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

13 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:01	General Case Activities
00:03:10	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Bader, Brett	In Person
00:58:45	General Case Activities
01:03:30	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Jackson, Timothy	In Person
01:36:30	Witness Cross Examination	Ellerby, Scott	Jackson, Timothy	In Person
01:44:10	General Case Activities
01:47:30	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Jackson, Timothy	In Person
01:54:10	General Case Activities
01:55:48	General Case Activities		Jackson, Timothy	In Person
02:00:05	Witness Cross Examination	Huebner, Kasey	Bader, Brett	In Person
02:02:20	Witness Cross Examination	Bond, Michael	Bader, Brett	In Person
02:06:50	General Case Activities
02:15:00	End of Session

AUG

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

13 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:25	General Case Activities
00:16:52	Witness Cross Examination	Bond, Michael	Bader, Brett	In Person
00:21:46	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Bader, Brett	In Person
00:44:00	Break
00:52:47	General Case Activities		Bader, Brett	In Person
01:01:52	General Case Activities	Bolin, Eugene	Bader, Brett	In Person
01:03:49	General Case Activities	Huebner, Kasey	Bader, Brett	In Person
01:03:59	General Case Activities	Bond, Michael	Bader, Brett	In Person
01:08:08	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Davis, Jeff	In Person
01:32:25	General Case Activities
01:44:50	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Davis, Jeff	In Person
02:43:40	General Case Activities
02:52:48	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

13 Chapters

AUG

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

14 Chapters

AUG

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:30	General Case Activities
00:01:00	General Case Activities
00:47:15	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Marealle, Margaret	Video Recording
01:33:40	General Case Activities
01:36:25	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Marealle, Margaret	Video Recording
01:44:45	Witness Cross Examination	Huebner, Kasey	Marealle, Margaret	Video Recording
02:08:08	Witness Cross Examination	Bond, Michael	Marealle, Margaret	Video Recording
02:29:38	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Marealle, Margaret	Video Recording
02:35:04	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Bond, Michael	Marealle, Margaret	Video Recording
02:36:30	End of Session

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

14 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:18	General Case Activities
00:13:50	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Sandlian, Ruth	Video Recording
00:47:21	Witness Cross Examination	Bond, Michael	Sandlian, Ruth	Video Recording
00:50:32	Witness Cross Examination	Huebner, Kasey	Sandlian, Ruth	Video Recording
00:53:40	Witness Direct Examination	Ellerby, Scott	Hague, Jane	In Person
00:59:40	Witness Cross Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Hague, Jane	In Person
01:12:18	Break
01:16:00	General Case Activities		Hague, Jane	In Person
01:18:10	General Case Activities		Hague, Jane	In Person
01:21:20	General Case Activities
01:23:38	General Case Activities		Davis, Jeff	In Person
01:25:28	General Case Activities		Davis, Jeff	In Person
01:42:50	General Case Activities
02:55:05	End of Session

AUG

AM Session

Other

3 Chapters

PM Session

Closings

7 Chapters

AUG

PM Session

Verdict

8 Chapters

AUG

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

Brecht v. Hague

Summary

Outcome

Sessions

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:24	General Case Activities
		00:07:04	General Case Activities
		01:21:14	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:01	Voir Dire (Jury Selection)
00:36:45	General Case Activities
00:39:08	Voir Dire (Jury Selection)
00:49:55	General Case Activities
01:02:15	General Case Activities
01:18:15	Opening Statement	Bolin, Eugene
02:04:40	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:01	General Case Activities
00:02:15	Break
00:05:10	Opening Statement	Ellerby, Scott
00:32:00	Opening Statement	Bond, Michael
00:37:45	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Hague, Jane	In Person
01:28:00	General Case Activities
01:30:20	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Hague, Jane	In Person
02:07:35	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:29	General Case Activities
00:07:17	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Davis, Jeff	In Person
00:20:30	General Case Activities
00:22:20	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Davis, Jeff	In Person
00:25:32	Witness Cross Examination	Huebner, Kasey	Davis, Jeff	In Person
00:29:20	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Davis, Jeff	In Person
00:32:40	General Case Activities
00:34:20	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Brecht, Paul	In Person
00:58:45	General Case Activities
01:07:30	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Brecht, Paul	In Person
02:10:50	General Case Activities
02:30:10	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:20	General Case Activities
00:35:59	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Brecht, Paul	In Person
01:32:30	General Case Activities
01:34:35	Witness Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Brecht, Paul	In Person
02:26:10	Witness Cross Examination	Huebner, Kasey	Brecht, Paul	In Person
02:47:10	General Case Activities
02:58:05	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:20	General Case Activities
00:05:48	Witness Cross Examination	Huebner, Kasey	Brecht, Paul	In Person
01:16:55	Break
01:18:36	Witness Cross Examination	Huebner, Kasey	Brecht, Paul	In Person
01:27:42	Witness Cross Examination	Bond, Michael	Brecht, Paul	In Person
01:46:57	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Brecht, Paul	In Person
01:59:45	General Case Activities
02:00:25	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Brecht, Paul	In Person
02:03:20	General Case Activities
02:05:20	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Bolin, Eugene	Brecht, Paul	In Person
02:07:10	Break
02:13:18	General Case Activities		Brecht, Paul	In Person
02:16:05	General Case Activities
02:34:15	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:10	General Case Activities
		00:01:00	General Case Activities
		03:20:45	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:10	General Case Activities
00:07:40	General Case Activities
00:10:08	Closing Statement	Bond, Michael
00:38:05	Closing Statement	Bolin, Eugene
00:48:10	General Case Activities
01:06:40	Reading of the Verdict
01:08:30	End of Session
01:15:30	End of Session