Google avoids jury trial for alleged advertising dominance

Alphabet's Google will not face a jury trial over its alleged dominance of digital advertising after the company paid $2.3 million to cover the U.S. government's damages claim, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Since non-monetary claims are heard directly by judges in antitrust cases, Google's payment means it avoids a jury trial. The company had said it would be the first-ever jury trial in a civil antitrust case filed by the Justice Department.

The Justice Department and a coalition of states sued the tech giant last year, saying it illegally monopolized digital advertising and charged users too much. The lawsuit primarily aims to break up Google's digital advertising business to allow more competition.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, issued her ruling Friday and scheduled the nonjury trial for Sept. 9, when she will hear arguments to decide the case directly.

Google has denied any wrongdoing and said it does not admit liability in submitting compensation. “The DOJ’s artificial damages claim has disintegrated,” the company said in a statement Friday, calling the case “an unfounded attempt to pick winners and losers in a highly competitive industry.”

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.

Google said last month that the government, which initially sought more than $100 million in damages, had sought less than $1 million in damages. Google's $2.3 million payment represents interest and the potential for triple damages under U.S. antitrust law.

Google had accused the federal government of fabricating its damages claim to ensure a jury trial, since non-monetary claims are heard directly by judges in antitrust cases.

The Justice Department responded that it was willing to resolve the financial damages portion of its case, but only if Google wrote a larger check.

“Google has fought hard to keep its anticompetitive behavior out of public view,” the government told Brinkema last month.