Jury’s Award Upheld in Flynt-Falwell Case

ROANOKE, Va. — A federal judge Friday upheld a jury verdict ordering Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt to pay the Rev. Jerry Falwell $200,000 for emotional distress caused by a bogus advertisement accusing the evangelist of drunkenness and incest.

A U.S. District Court jury ruled last December that the so-called “ad parody” was not libelous because no one would believe it, but awarded the damages anyway.

Judge James Turk upheld the verdict Friday.