A federal judge has decided that Google will not go to jury trial for its alleged dominance in digital advertising after the company paid $2.3 million to settle the government’s demand for monetary penalties.
In antitrust cases, non-monetary issues are decided directly by judges, and Google’s payment means it avoids a jury trial.
The company had argued that it would have been the first-ever jury trial in a civil antitrust case brought by the U.S. Justice Department.
Last year, the Justice Department and a coalition of states sued Google, accusing it of unlawfully monopolizing digital advertising and overcharging users.
The lawsuit aims to dismantle Google’s digital advertising business to promote more competition.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, made the ruling on Friday and scheduled a non-jury trial for September 9, where she will hear arguments and decide the case herself.
Google has denied any wrongdoing and stated it was not admitting liability by making the payment. Google’s $2.3 million payment covers interest and accounts for the possibility of damages being tripled under U.S. antitrust law.
The tech giant had accused the federal government of inflating its damages claim to ensure a jury trial.
The Justice Department responded that it was open to settling the damages aspect, but only if Google paid a larger amount.
