E. Jean Carroll Files a Defamation Suit Against Trump for Saying She Lied About Sexual Assault
“Decades ago, the now president of the United States raped me," said Carroll in a statement. "While I can no longer hold Donald Trump accountable for assaulting me more than 20 years ago, I can hold him accountable for lying about it and I fully intend to do so."
On October 31, a federal judge dismissed a $300 million defamation suit brought by the former Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joseph Arpaio against CNN, HuffPost and Rolling Stone. In December, Arpaio […]
A Small Newspaper in Iowa Wins a Libel Suit, but Legal Costs May Force It to Close
On July 17, 2017, the Carroll Times Herald was sued for libel after it published the first of a series of investigative pieces about a local cop who was having inappropriate relationships with teenage girls. The day after the Times Herald published its first article about the police officer, he filed a libel suit contending that his reputation had been destroyed, along with his employability as a law enforcement officer.
Devin Nunes Files Defamation Complaint against Reporter Ryan Lizza
The lawsuit argues that Lizza's widely read article, "Devin Nunes’s Family Farm is Hiding a Politically Explosive Secret," is a "legion of lies" and that Lizza published it with the specific intent to harm the congressman’s reputation.
Virginia Lt. Governor Files $400 Million Defamation Suit Against CBS
Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor, Justin Fairfax, is suing CBS for defamation for airing separate interviews with two women, Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson, who have accused him of sexual assault.
High School Classmate of Justice Kavanaugh Sues HuffPost for Defamation
An article written by Ashley Feinberg about Kavanaugh's high school class implied that Derrick Evans was implicated in the death of David Kennedy.
Federal Appeals Court Reinstates Sarah Palin’s Defamation Suit Against NY Times
A federal appeals court reinstated Sarah Palin’s 2017 defamation suit against The New York Times. Palin had sued the paper for an editorial that she alleges incorrectly linked her and her PAC to the 2011 shooting of Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona. “This case is ultimately about the First Amendment, but the subject matter implicated in this appeal is far less dramatic: rules of procedure and pleading standards,” reads the unanimous decision by the federal appeal court judges.
Deep Dive: The Nicholas Sandmann Defamation Lawsuits
This deep dive includes information about the defamation suits stemming from a viral encounter between a group of high school boys and a Native American activist. Students can use it to understand such as protected opinion, public figure doctrine, and other First Amendment concepts.