Chris Kyle, a former U.S. sniper, published his autobiography in 2012. Along with stories about his sniper days, Kyle included a story about punching a guy – later identified as Jesse Ventura – in 2006. Ventura claimed the incident never happened and sued Kyle for defamation. Because Kyle was killed in 2013, the lawsuit proceeded against the estate. To win his case, Ventura had to prove two key elements. First, Ventura had to prove that Kyle’s account about the fight was false. Second, and more difficult, Ventura had to convince the jury that Kyle acted with malice – that is, Kyle knew what he was saying was false or he recklessly disregarded the truth.

After several days of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict for Ventura, awarding him $1.8 million.

Source: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Trial-of-Ventura-Vs-Chris-Kyles-Book-Begins-Monday-265967491.html

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