Judge to rule on whether Rudy Giuliani must give up World Series rings, condo in defamation case
Rudy Giuliani's New York Yankees World Series rings must be held by his son until a judge decides whether the former New York mayor must relinquish them as part of a defamation judgment he owes to two Georgia election workers, the judge ordered Tuesday.
"The point was to ensure the security of the rings," Judge Lewis Liman said during the final hearing before trial begins Thursday.
The trial will determine whether Giuliani, 80, must turn over three World Series rings and his Florida condominium to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who won a $148 million defamation award against him.
The former mayor's son, Andrew, has possession of the rings and agreed to keep them pending the outcome. Giuliani has asserted the Florida condo is his permanent residence and exempt from the judgment.
Giuliani, once Donald Trump's personal lawyer, has already given up a New York City apartment, a 1980 Mercedes once owned by actress Lauren Bacall and several luxury watches. He has been disbarred and held in contempt in New York and in Washington.
Freeman and Moss sued Giuliani in 2021 after he repeatedly made false claims they corrupted the 2020 Georgia vote.
On Tuesday, Giuliani's attorney sought unsuccessfully to call as witnesses Giuliani's spokesman, Ted Goodman, and Monsignor Alan Placa, a retired priest. Both men have "intimate knowledge of his intent and the homestead," Giuliani's attorney said.
Placa "answers to a higher power than this court," defense attorney Joseph Cammarata added.
"What do you mean?" Judge Liman interjected.
"He answers to God, your honor," Cammarata responded.
Liman denied the defense request to reconsider allowing the priest to testify.
Giuliani himself is the primary witness at trial and is expected to testify first.
