Supreme Court Denies Appeal In $1.5M Defamation Judgement Against Donald Watkins

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The United States Supreme Court has rejected disgraced former attorney Donald Watkins’s appeal of $1.5 million defamation judgment against him as Montgomery-based Matrix, LLC moves forward with its collection efforts.

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The ruling was handed down last month, according to an announcement from Birmingham law firm Campbell Partners, LLC.

“The trial court followed the evidence and the law in entering a judgment in Matrix’s favor,” attorney Cason Kirby said. “In characteristic fashion, Watkins then resorted to personal attacks against Dr. Perkins and the court system because he could not defend his own unlawful actions.”

The Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court in August 2021 handed down the $1.5 million civil judgment against Watkins. This came after Matrix and its principal, Joe Perkins, were successful in proving all five counts of civil defamation for Watkins’s "repeated and proven lies about Matrix’s work."

Matrix is a strategic communications firm founded by Perkins in 1995, which serves clients across the country.

Kirby said Watkins — in an apparent attempt to build leverage for a settlement —countersued Matrix and Perkins in the same lawsuit, but ultimately lost when the judgment was issued on all of Watkins’s counterclaims.

Watkins then appealed his lawsuit loss in a reported effort to delay collections efforts, first to the Alabama Supreme Court and then to the U.S. Supreme Court. He lost both appeals.

“Unfortunately, like many of Watkins’ victims, Matrix will likely be paid nothing on its hard-won judgment,” Kirby said. “We understand Watkins to be in desperate financial straits, and he is continuing to spew outrageous lies and kooky conspiracy theories to distract from his own considerable troubles. Regardless, we are moving forward with collections efforts against Watkins to hold him accountable for his damaging lies.”

The U.S. Supreme Court in February then entered an order denying Watkins’s appeal after the Alabama Supreme Court made a similar decision last October.

Campbell Partners said Matrix began efforts to collect on its judgment against Watkins last week.

Prior to the defamation suit, Watkins was found guilty in federal court in 2019 of seven counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy in a case that reportedly involved millions of dollars.

Kirby explained of that specific case that the victims’ money was used to pay for Watkins’ alimony, hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes, personal loan payments, and a private jet.

Watkins was ultimately sentenced to five years in federal prison and was ordered to pay over $14 million in restitution.

Kirby said Watkins was recently transferred to California, where he is set to serve out the remainder of his sentence.

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