Update: New York court throws out penalty.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y09q1zgg8o
on USA 8A grounds: Even if there was fraud (but there wasn't) or harm (none was shown), $500m penalty was so far out, it violates USA ban on "cruel and unusual punishment."
Case suffers from many more flaws. Appeals rightly will continue until case is obliterated.
While several [NY-lib] judges said she was "within her lawful power in bringing this action", one believed the case should have been dismissed and two said that there should be a new trial of a more limited scope.
Those two, though, joined the decision to throw out the fine "for the sole purpose of ensuring finality", wrote Judge Moulton.
American voters had "obviously rendered a verdict" on Trump's political career, Judge Moulton also wrote, and "this bench today unanimously derails the effort to destroy his business".
The ruling amounted to a "judicial version of kicking the can down the road", said Will Thomas, an assistant professor of business law at the University of Michigan.
"By its own admission, the Appellate Courts is punting the real legal decision up to the New York Court of Appeals, noting that its unusual decision was made 'for the sole purpose of ensuring finality,'" he said.
"Would you have a 300-page opinion if this were Joe Smith the businessman, and not Donald Trump?"
@hubrys
