PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Legal teams representing CNN and the U.S. Navy veteran suing the network for defamation wrapped up jury selection on Monday in Bay County, Florida.
Six women and two men were selected. There will be six jurors and two alternates when opening arguments kick off on Tuesday in the high-stakes trial. U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young alleges that CNN smeared him by implying he illegally profited when helping people flee Afghanistan on the "black market" during the Biden administration's military withdrawal from the country in 2021.
Young believes CNN "destroyed his reputation and business" by branding him an "illegal profiteer" who exploited "desperate Afghans" during a November 11, 2021, segment that first aired on CNN’s "The Lead with Jake Tapper." 14th Judicial Circuit Court Judge William S. Henry, who is presiding over the trial, has ruled that Young "did not act illegally or criminally" despite what the network reported on air. Judge Henry has also suggested that CNN’s eventual on-air apology was inadequate.
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Potential jurors were peppered on their thoughts about the media, veterans, punitive damages, whether they own stock in CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, what they do for a living and an assortment of other issues. The lengthy process began with the first prospective juror declaring, "I dislike the media, especially CNN," when asked if he could be fair. Another promptly said, "not a fan of CNN," when asked the same question.
One prospective juror said CNN is too "liberal" for her tastes, one suggested that media organizations believe they can say anything about anyone and "pretend to be the victim" when called out, and another said he could be impartial, but added, "Nothing negative against CNN… I just don’t see things the way they do."
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One potential juror caused a burst of laughter in the courtroom when he bluntly explained why he wouldn’t make a good juror.
"It’s killing me sitting here… I’m hyperactive, and I smoke plus I have to pee," he said.
At one point, the potential jurors were asked if they’d feel comfortable awarding someone more than $100 million in punitive damages. Nobody objected to that, as long as "evidence supports it."
At least six potential jurors raised their hands when asked by Young’s attorney, Vel Freedman, if they believed CNN creates "fake news." This question came after one potential juror specifically called CNN by the "fake news" moniker.
None of the potential jurors who disparaged CNN were selected for the jury. Neither was the "hyperactive" man selected.
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While CNN’s viewership issues have been well documented and the network has hit ratings lows in recent memory, people inside the courtroom seemed a tad surprised when only one of the 40-plus prospective jurors said they watched CNN regularly. Only two of the candidates knew who CNN anchor Jake Tapper is, and neither admitted to being a regular viewer of his program.
CNN senior vice president of news and executive editorial director Adam Levine was in attendance to represent the network. No other CNN staffers were seen.
The trial resumes on Tuesday morning and Young is expected to take the stand early in the process. The trial will be streamed live.
