April 6, 2012. Goosmann Law Firm obtained a jury verdict in favor of Rick Bertand in Bertrand v. Mullin for libel and slander relating to a false political TV ad in the 2010 Senate Race. The jury awarded Bertrand $231,000 in damages. The ad contained lies about Bertand’s Company. Even after Bertand informed the Defendants the ad contained lies and needed to be pulled on the Defendants refused, continued to run the ads, and even ordered up more defamatory ads. Rick Bertrand, a state Senator from Iowa, said “This is how you change American politics: standing up to the political machine.”
Goosmann Law Firm is proud the jury held the Party responsible for the false lies they paid to tell about our client. This case has national importance because the jury held the political party liable for false personal attacks against a political candidate. “The first amendment does not give unlimited freedom to publish personal lies against anyone, whether or not you are a public figure,” Goosmann said. “This case helps pave the way for good people to run for office.”
Attorneys Jeana Goosmann and Emilee Gehling tried the case.
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