Thomas-Rasset wants $1.5M file sharing fine thrown out

Despite being found guilty after her third trial, Minnesota mother Jammie Thomas-Rasset still has no interest in paying a $1.5 million fine to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Her lawyers argue that the monetary process violates Thomas-Rasset’s due process “because it bears no reasonable relationship to the actual damages that the defendant caused.” However, hearing that the fine is too expensive and doesn’t match the crime won’t fly after such a long and drawn-out legal saga that has carried on for years.

I expect her argument to fail, and she’ll still be stuck with a heavy fine.

After her first trial, she was given a $220,000 fine, with the fine reaching $1.92M after a second trial. However, US District Judge Michael Davis decided the fine was too high and reduced the fine down to $54,000, with the RIAA offering a $25K settlement. Instead, Thomas-Rasset’s legal team decided to reject the $25K settlement, which was the last offer from the RIAA.

Her third file sharing trial started in early November, with legal analysts expecting the same exact result as before — Thomas-Rasset would lose and face stiff monetary fines. As expected, she lost the trial and was ordered to pay a whopping 1.5 million dollar fine to the RIAA.

Apparently she should have taken the $25K settlement that was offered to her before. Her lawyers should have realized she would have been found guilty and face a much more severe monetary fine.

After three different rulings since 2006, it’s time for Thomas-Rasset to understand that she’s unlikely to get off the hook. The RIAA obviously won’t collect the $1.5M sum they were awarded, but the case warns others as to how far the RIAA is willing to go.