A Kansas City, Kansas NASCAR driver was ordered by a jury in North Carolina to pay $850,002 to the woman whose marriage she destroyed. This story tops another strange news day around the world.
JM: Tracey Hughes filed the case in January 2024, nearly three years after Hughes and her husband, Clayton Hughes, separated in January 2021. According to People, Tracey Hughes and her husband had been married since 2003, and she claimed Cobb became involved with him several months before their separation. The complaint accused Cobb of pursuing Hughes’ husband while he was still married and arranging meetings between the two. It also alleged that Cobb communicated with him by phone and text while traveling for racing events and encouraged him to mislead his wife about his whereabouts. The allegations in the complaint were the basis of the civil claims, rather than criminal charges against Cobb.
Tracey and Clayton married in 2003 and were “happily married” until Cobb, she alleged, “willfully, intentionally, and deliberately seduced, enticed, and alienated the affections” of her husband for several months leading up to their January 2021 separation. The filing alleged Cobb called and texted Clayton while she was on the road for races, set up “regular trysts,” and carried on meetings in North Carolina and other states “while traveling for racing competitions.” Hughes said she suffered “the loss of support, injury to [her] feelings and reputation,” and that her marital relationship was destroyed. One passage in the complaint said the affair “invaded and ended” the “exclusive rights and privileges” of the marriage and “the marital bed was dishonored.”
“The marital bed was dishonored” is something I’ve never heard until now. I’d normally call it hyperbole, but it’s not really hyperbole when the defendant is ordered to pay over $850,000 to the plaintiff. How did the jury come up with that amount? Here is the explanation…
Criminal conversation is not a crime and it is not about talking. It is a civil tort. In North Carolina, it asks one question… Did the defendant have sex with the plaintiff’s spouse while the marriage was still intact? If a jury says yes, damages can follow.
“Alienation of affection” is the companion claim. It asks whether the defendant’s wrongful conduct destroyed the love and affection in the marriage.
North Carolina is one of a handful of states that still allow these lawsuits. The General Assembly narrowed them in 2009, saying nothing after a couple permanently separates can count, and the suit has to be filed within three years of the defendant’s last act (G.S. 52-13).
The jury awarded Tracey $50,000 in damages for “maliciously and wrongfully caus[ing] alienation” and $800,000 for “commit[ting] criminal conversation,” as well as nominal punitive damages of $1 for each claim.
So, there you go. You’d better think twice about having an affair in North Carolina.
JM: You can read more about the details about this attempted hijacking here: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/flydubai-flight-israel-saudi-arabia-09-30. The co-pilot stabbed the pilot and attempted to hijack and crash the plane, but the stabbed pilot was able to open the cockpit door, allowing crew and passengers to help subdue the co-pilot. Luckily, there was a third pilot onboard and able to fly and land the plane. It is a miracle that nobody was killed. Pretty scary stuff.
JM: Hey, when you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go. I might have just found a QuikTrip though.
JM: Ho, hum, more Democrat vandalism against Republicans. Although, I wouldn’t necessarily call Susan Collins of Maine a traditional Republican. I’d call her a RINO at best. But that still didn’t stop Democrats from vandalizing her office. Seriously, who does that?
JM: I find Jack Smith to be a reprehensible human being, as do most sane people. I posted this because of the line “he’s the kind of Washingtonian who would unplug your life support to charge his cellphone.” That about says it all.
JM: Is this woman also claiming postpartum depression?
JM: Why is ANYONE rappelling down a rocky cliff with a one-year-old? This guy is insane. At least his child wasn’t hurt. Can’s say that much for the man, who is in critical condition. Hope he learned a lesson.