The verdict is in: John Galliano will have to pay. As of Thursday morning, French courts have convicted designer John Galliano for anti-Semitic slurs and hit him with a suspended fine, AP reports. AP adds that the total fine is around 6,000 euros, or about $8,400. The amount is less the original called-for sum, as the maximum penalty for Galliano’s crimes (insult on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion) is around $32,000 (22,500 euros). Prosecutors had previously called for a fine of at least 10,000 euros (around $14,000) as well as no jail time, as the maximum Galliano faced under the law was six months, AP reported. Galliano’s lawyer Aurélien Hamelle had argued for his client for be acquitted. While Galliano did appear in court back in June to make a case for himself, he was not in attendance today to hear the verdict. As reported from the trial, Galliano had said that he wished to be there but was afraid of being hounded by press. The 50-year-old British designer was charged with “public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity” stemming from two separate incidents at a Parisian cafe, in which he spouted off comments about Jews as well as Asians to fellow cafe-goers. Around the time of the incident, The Sun also dug up a video in which Galliano goes on an anti-Semitic diatribe, saying “I love Hitler.” Almost immediately after the scandal broke, Galliano was fired from his post as creative director of Christian Dior. During his June 22 trial, Galliano blamed a trio of addictions — to alcohol, barbiturates and sleeping pills — as well as industry pressures, saying that the man that night was not truly Galliano. He pointed to his fashions as evidence, saying, “You can say that I embrace every race, creed, sexuality . I strive for diversity in my creations.”
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John Galliano Found Guilty, Slapped With Suspended Fine <![CDATA[&]]> No Jail Time