Federal Court Dismisses Virginia Lt. Governor’s $400 Million Defamation Suit Against CBS

In September 2019, Justin Fairfax sued CBS over its interviews and subsequent coverage of two sexual assault claims against him. This week, a U.S. District Judge dismissed his claims, citing no evidence that CBS' coverage would have led a reasonable viewer to assume they were true or that the organization endorsed the women's allegations.

Virginia Legislature Looks to Strengthen State’s Anti-SLAPP Law

Current loopholes in the state's law have lured a number of individuals into using Virginia courts to intimidate their critics. For example, of the six defamation complaints Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) filed in the past year, four were filed in Virginia.

Devin Nunes Tries to Unmask Cow Account, Raising Concerns over Anonymous Speech

In a new amicus brief, Public Citizen and the American Civil Liberties Union argue that Nunes cannot legally pursue the identity of the anonymous speaker without first proving he has a valid defamation claim. Without meeting this legal standard, they write, the court could threaten people's First Amendment right to anonymous speech.

Trump Staffer Files $25 Million Defamation Lawsuit Against Politico

The complaint accuses Politico and Bertrand of intentionally publishing false information in order to damage the staffer's reputation, and of colluding with Schiff to advance the “impeachment inquisition.” 

It’s Happy Hour Somewhere: Lawsuit Challenging Happy Hour Ad Restrictions Will Proceed

  Chef Geoff Tracy can move ahead with his lawsuit against Virginia’s Alcoholic Control Board seeking to weaken happy hour advertisement rules in the state. Lawyers for the Attorney General’s […]