Plaintiff in CNN defamation trial celebrates 'vindication' following courtroom drama: 'I'm glad it's over'

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - U.S. Navy seasoned Zachary Young is celebrating the "vindication" helium received aft a assemblage recovered that CNN had defamed him, concluding the aggravated two-week tribunal battle. 

"I'm gladsome it's over," Young told Fox News Digital successful an interview. "Feeling very, very, precise good."

After much than 8 hours of deliberation, the six-person assemblage ruled Young was to beryllium awarded $4 cardinal successful mislaid earnings, $1 cardinal successful idiosyncratic damages specified arsenic symptom and suffering and said that punitive damages are warranted against CNN. But arsenic the 2nd signifier of the proceedings was underway, lawyers for some Young and CNN told 14th Judicial Circuit Court Judge William S. Henry they had reached a settlement. 

"It's been a agelong 3 years, and to person the result that we wanted, which was vindication publicly, is an unthinkable feeling. And I'm gladsome that it's over, and we don't person to walk much years and much clip arguing astir the meaning of a word," Young said. 

JURY FINDS CNN COMMITTED DEFAMATION AGAINST NAVY VETERAN, SETTLEMENT REACHED ON PUNITIVE DAMAGES

U.S. Navy seasoned Zachary Young spoke with Fox News Digital pursuing his defamation triumph against CNN. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)

The colony magnitude was not disclosed, but it came aft an adept witnesser suggested $150 cardinal was a just magnitude to punish CNN. 

Following the years-long ineligible conflict with CNN, Young tells Fox News Digital helium doesn't person "any animosity" towards the network.

"I deliberation that this was a bully result for some of us," Young said. "I'm capable to get connected with my beingness now, and I hadn't been capable to adjacent ideate what that would look similar oregon consciousness similar for a precise agelong time. I'm inactive benignant of wondering what that is gonna consciousness similar erstwhile the particulate settles. But successful presumption of animosity towards CNN, I don't person immoderate astatine all." 

"I anticipation that they larn thing from this experience," helium continued. "I anticipation that they instrumentality this arsenic an accidental to look successful the reflector and recognize that, you know, determination is country for alteration and improvement, and if that's the result that it has connected CNN and possibly others successful the media besides tin spot that arsenic thing that's positive."

CNN DEFAMATION TRIAL: CLOSING ARGUMENTS MADE AS JURY BEGINS TO DELIBERATE LAWSUIT AGAINST NETWORK

CNN settled its defamation lawsuit against Young aft a assemblage recovered that web defamed him.  (John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Vel Freedman, Young's pb counsel successful the defamation suit against CNN, besides touted the ineligible win.

"We were capable to wide Zak's name, get a verdict, and past settee truthful helium tin debar protracted appeals and determination connected with his life," Freedman told Fox News Digital. "So, arsenic a lawyer, it's conscionable precisely what you privation to do."

In a connection to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for CNN said, "We stay arrogant of our journalists and are 100% committed to strong, fearless and fair-minded reporting astatine CNN, though we volition of people instrumentality what utile lessons we tin from this case." 

CNN DEFAMATION TRIAL: EDITOR WHO SAID STORY WAS ‘FULL OF HOLES LIKE SWISS CHEESE’ GRILLED ON WITNESS STAND

Young accused CNN of defaming him aft it aired a graphic tying him to "black markets" during the conception that archetypal aired connected "The Lead with Jake Tapper." (CNN/Screenshot)

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Young accused CNN of smearing him by implying helium illegally profited erstwhile helping people flee Afghanistan on the "black market" during the Biden administration's military withdrawal from the state successful 2021. Young believed CNN "destroyed his estimation and business" by branding him an amerciable profiteer who exploited "desperate Afghans" during the November 2021 segment.

Young's ineligible squad obtained damning CNN interior messages done find repeatedly showing staffers expressing overt hostility towards the Navy veteran. Among those presented to the assemblage see 1 calling him a "s---bag" an "a--hole" 1 saying helium has a "punchable face."

It was besides revealed that Alex Marquardt, the CNN analogous who led the on-air report, told a workfellow "we're gonna nail this Zachary Young mf---er," a connection often cited passim the trial.

Fox News' Brian Flood and Annie McCuen contributed to this report.