Steel musician Jeremy Wagner (Damaged Hope, Earthburner, and many others.) has received a default judgement in opposition to legendary rock music photographer Ross Halfin.
The case in opposition to Halfin by Wagner was initially filed in 2024 and centered round three black & white prints and one colour print of Lynyrd Skynyrd bought to Wagner by Halfin in 2018. All 4 images had been embossed with Halfin‘s stamp, signed by Halfin, and designated as prints made out of Ross Halfin unique pictures. Besides they weren’t taken by Halfin.
In October 2023, Wagner found three of the images had been taken by Barry Plummer. Wagner wrote to Halfin in January 2024 to disclose what he had found and demanded his a refund. Wagner additionally reached out to Plummer in July 2024, who confirmed in writing that the three black & white prints had been his pictures – the fourth is by an unknown photographer.
In line with Wagner‘s authorized consultant George Chin in a written piece, Halfin by no means responded. “In August 2024, Halfin tried to rearrange a gathering by an middleman with Wagner backstage at a Metallica live performance in Chicago which Wagner declined requesting Halfin to speak as an alternative to his authorized consultant,” wrote Chin.
“Having reached an obvious impasse, Wagner subsequent instructed his legal professional in Chicago to start a civil declare in opposition to Halfin for violation of the Illinois Client Fraud and Misleading Enterprise Practices Act, and papers had been duly served on Halfin in December 2024.”
Halfin didn’t present up for a handful of hearings in early 2024, and “in a listening to on Could 21, 2025, Halfin admitted by his legal professional that each one the information of the case are true and that he’s accountable for shopper fraud in violation of the Illinois Client Fraud and Misleading Enterprise Practices Act.”
Halfin additionally didn’t attend a listening to on November 24, 2025 to settle the quantity of damages to be awarded to Wagner, and Wagner was granted a default judgement for compensatory damages, punitive damages, legal professional’s charges and prices totaling $61,241.
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