The jury trial of Hulk Hogan v. Gawker continues into its fifth day. Attorneys for Gawker will likely begin their case today, defending the online outlet against the $100 million lawsuit. On Thursday, Hogan’s attorneys called a journalism professor to the stand as an expert witness. The professor tried to argue that Gawker deviated from journalistic norms by publishing the sex tape. Gawker’s attorneys hit back hard, trying to frame the professor as having a dated grasp on what is considered newsworthy. The jurors also viewed a 2 second clip of the controversial video.
Hogan sued the website in 2012 after it published parts of a video that showed him having sex with the wife of radio shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. The video was recorded in 2006 and according to Hogan, it was recorded without his knowledge. Hogan’s lawsuit seeks $100 million in damages for invasion of privacy.
Gawker is waging a First Amendment defense, claiming that because Hogan discussed his sex life publically he made the sex tape fair game for publishing.
Here is the live stream from Day 5 of the trial which is expected to start again Friday morning.
Livestream provided courtesy of Wild About Trial/Crime Watch Daily
[screengrab via Channel 8]
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