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Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

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Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#561

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That's only true up to a certain baseline. And that's true enough for me. > Maybe. The DOJ's conviction rate isn't appreciably different between divisions, including white collar crime: > (all around 90%). Interesting report, thank you for the link. I think 90% in and of itself is high enough to warrant scrutiny, any higher and it would be grounds for an investigation. Japan (99%) and China (98%) appear to be signi…

> And that's true enough for me. But it's not true as a general proposition, nor are you excluding an irrelevant class of litigation. Much (most?) commercial litigation is between well-funded parties (e.g. a big company and it's insurer). > Interesting report, thank you for the link. I think 90% in and of itself is high enough to warrant scrutiny The government should only bring a lawsuit if it looks at the evidence…

>It's true that over the last 30 years, the government has gotten much more conservative about bringing prosecutions.

I'm not sure that this is actually true. Instead, I see a much greater use of plea bargains, especially of the "accept this deal or we will throw every possible charge at you" type. Given the sheer number of laws, this can lead to life-ending penalties for seemingly minor crimes.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#562

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In that case, third-party funding seems like the last aspect of the problem that needs to be fixed.

Yes, I'd start with first-party funding making a difference. E.g. why have lawyers of higher skills available based on their asking fees? That's like openly acknowledging that people with more money get better leverage on the law and have better representation. If it was to me, I'd take that aspect out of the legal system. We might value such competition in business, but I sure as hell don't want it there -- it's wha…

I agree with the concept but all this does is shift the costs. Instead of hiring a lawyer, you hire expert witnesses and private detectives and researchers etc.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#563

A few thoughts: 1. The pressure point here was a court ruling declining to stay enforcement of the $140M judgment pending appeal. This left Gawker having to post a $50M bond in order to avoid enforcement proceedings by which its assets could have been seized and its business literally dismantled. Gawker may or may not ultimately prove to have a successful basis upon which to get this judgment reversed but, without a…

Shutting Gawker was not act of oppression, the judge made a decision based on the jury's decision and his interpretation of the law, not on the amount of money Theil spent on Hogan's lawyers, and my guess is if the plaintiff were a guy that was being oppressed by an institution with more money and notoriety at hand, many people would support the third party paying for that underdog's lawyer fees.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#564
post #539
post #472

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The linked case is about a celebrity worth quite a bit of money and still it wasn't enough to get the case decided in his favor, it needed yet another - bigger - millionaire / billionaire to step in to sway the case. But that's not what happened. The case was "decided in his favor" a long time ago when Gawker offered to settle for a sum of money that would far exceed anything he could have expected in his wildest d…

> Thiel intervened not to win Bollea more money (indeed, he may end up getting less), but to pay Bollea off so that the case would be about hurting Gawker more than benefiting Bollea, which is what Thiel wanted. Do you have any evidence of this at all?

Yep:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/05/24/tech_billi...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/25/business/dealbook/peter-th...

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#565
post #564
post #539

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Thiel intervened not to win Bollea more money (indeed, he may end up getting less), but to pay Bollea off so that the case would be about hurting Gawker more than benefiting Bollea, which is what Thiel wanted. Do you have any evidence of this at all?

Yep: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/05/24/tech_billi... http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/25/business/dealbook/peter-th...

There isn't evidence in either of those articles that Thiel influenced the nature of the claims to prevent insurance from triggering. Just speculation around that.

Be careful, you probably shouldn't just make shit up about someone and then pretend it is true.

Re: Gawker Files for Bankruptcy, Will Be Put Up for Auction

#566
post #558

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only reason the trial exists is not because of the tape, is because of Thiel's thin skin, cause he didn't have any grounds on his. I don't think you understand how this is an abuse of money on the juritary system.

What? Without the tape there wouldn't have been a trial. I think you've bought into a narrative created by fearful journalists.

Without Thiel's money there wouldn't be a trial.

Trust me, Hulk Hogan and Thiel aren't friends, he just has a personal vendeta with it.

And I think you bought into a narrative of Silicon Valley cocksuckers ;-)

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