A jury in Charlottesville has found against Rolling Stone magazine in a $7.5 million suit over its now discredited story about an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia.
The jury said Rolling Stone and its publisher, Wenner Media, were guilty of malice when they reprinted their November story – A Rape on Campus – in December. By then doubts had been raised about the reliability of the magazine’s main source, a woman known only as Jackie.
Related: Updates from The Rolling Stone Trial
University administrator Nicole Eramo claimed she was misquoted and the story had damaged her reputation. Today, she left the courtroom with her husband and did not speak with reporters, but her lawyer Libby Locke said she was satisfied with the verdict.
“It’s a very good day," Locke said. "We’re very pleased with the jury and the time and the effort that they took.”
The jury also found against reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely, who wept in the courtroom. Afterward, she and her lawyers had no comment.
Jurors will decide Monday how much to award Eramo.
