Opinion
NH Court Rules Union Leader Op-ed “Merely Expressive Rhetoric … Not Designed to Assert Factual Allegations”
William L. ChapmanOp-ed charged plaintiff with supporting white supremist ideology.
Louis Farrakhan’s $4.8 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against Jewish Groups Dismissed
Nathan Siegel and Adam RichThe court held that Farrakhan failed to plead a defamation claim because the challenged statements were protected opinion, and that he also failed to plead falsity or actual malice.
It’s “OK” To Call a Police Officer Racist
John C. Greiner and Darren FordThe court had little trouble concluding that the allegedly offending statements were opinion protected under Ohio law.
Nicholas Sandmann Blocked on Appeal
Meenakshi Krishnan and Nathan SiegelThe Sixth Circuit affirmed the District Court’s grant of summary judgment to several media defendants (The New York Times, CBS, ABC, Gannett, and Rolling Stone) in a series of long-running defamation cases brought by Nicholas Sandmann.
Article Tying Nursing Home Magnate to Human Trafficking, Medicaid Fraud & Elder Abuse Protected As Fair Report, True, and Opinion
Alia SmithJudge Azrack held that the challenged statements – concerning the poor quality of some of Landa’s nursing homes and alleged financial and other improprieties – were fair reports under N.Y. Civil Rights Law § 74, were substantially true, or were non-actionable opinions.
Virginia Court Dismisses Homeowners’ Case Over B-Roll Footage in Jan. 6 News Story
Hilary OranThough courts rarely find that a party has been fraudulently joined, the court did so in this instance.
Virginia Federal Court Grants Gannett’s Motion to Dismiss Defamation Lawsuit Brought by Prominent Anti-Vaxxer and Covid Critic
Michael J. GrygielThe threshold dismissal was particularly welcome — and appropriate — because the Complaint targeted the newspaper’s reporting on a newsworthy community event implicating vitally important public health issues.
Court Dismissed Defamation Case Arising from Environmental Advocacy Group’s Campaign to Protect Canadian Forests
Chelsea Kelly and Laura HandmanAfter seven years of litigation, court ruled that defendants had not acted with actual malice and dismissed the case in full.
Arizona Supreme Court Finds Radio Host’s Statements Protected as Opinion, Political Speech
Michael J. LambertThe Arizona Supreme Court has issued a ringing endorsement for the safeguards provided to opinions and political speech in a defamation case involving a local radio talk show host.
Satanic Temple Lawsuit Against Newsweek Magazine Largely Dismissed
Cameron Stracher and Sara TesorieroThe Southern District of New York held that twenty-one of the twenty-two statements were not defamatory as a matter of law.