US Court dismisses Sarah Palin defamation lawsuit against New York Times
US Court dismisses Sarah Palin defamation lawsuit against New York Times
The former Alaska governor had accused the newspaper of damaging her reputation
The US District Court for the Southern District of New York judge Jed Rakoff has dismissed ex-Alaska governor Sarah Palin's libel lawsuit against the New York Times.
The judge ruled that Palin had failed to show actual malice in an inaccurate editorial dating back to 2017. While Palin is expected to appeal, the ruling temporarily puts an end to the nearly five-year-long lawsuit.
The lawsuit stems from an article written in 2017 by then New York Times editor James Bennet. It was published in response to the 2017 shooting at the congressional baseball game, criticizing the former Alaska governor for an inflammatory political ad from 2010.
The piece incorrectly claimed that there was a connection between Palin's ad and the shooting of US Representative Gabrielle Giffords in 2011. Bennet claimed that it was a mistake and the New York Times corrected it within 24 hours of publishing.
The jury agreed with judge Rakoff's dismissal, highlighting an uncommon practice whereby the judge had made a decision while the jury was still deliberating. The judge had acknowledged the inaccuracy of the article.
