Hard-fought match: Grasser's lawyer 'wins' against judge

Manfred Ainedter, a prominent Austrian lawyer known for representing Karl-Heinz Grasser, has been acquitted of defamation charges on appeal. The case involved Ainedter's public statements regarding the husband of a judge allegedly filming inside a courtroom during a previous trial.

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I was wearing a jacket, took the phone out of the inner pocket, pressed it and looked, and then it said: 'Sound off.' Then I put it back. That was my only handling of the phone.

The initial ruling by a lower court had found Ainedter guilty, imposing a conditional fine of 9,880 euros. The defamation claim was brought by Judge Manfred Hohenecker, who alleged that Ainedter's remarks damaged his reputation. Hohenecker testified that he handled his mobile phone discreetly in his pocket and had no motive to film publicly.

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I was surrounded by journalists. If I were so stupid, one wonders why, but – if I had held the phone up like that, it would have been in the newspaper the next day.

However, the appellate court overturned the conviction. Ainedter had argued that his statements were made in the context of the high-profile Buwog trial involving Grasser and that he was commenting on judicial proceedings. The acquittal represents a significant legal victory for Ainedter and highlights the complexities of public commentary on legal matters in Austria.

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I'm not crazy, and I lack any motive.