Afternoon Briefs: ACLU wants lawyer's libel lawsuit tossed; Dershowitz gives limited advice in MyPillow CEO suit
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ACLU seeks dismissal of lawyer’s libel suit
The Georgia Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether a lawyer’s libel lawsuit against the American Civil Liberties Union may go to trial. Lawyer B. Reid Zeh said the ACLU defamed him by claiming that he charged clients for representation that he should have represented for free as a part-time public defender. Zeh said he represented only misdemeanor clients as a public defender, and his law practice represented people accused of felonies. (Law360)
Dershowitz gives limited advice to MyPillow CEO
Former Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz is advising lawyers for MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell on First Amendment issues in a defamation lawsuit. Dominion Voting Systems has sued Lindell over claims that its machines were used to rig elections. Dershowitz told CNBC that he isn’t representing Lindell or MyPillow, although he is offering limited advice on First Amendment issues. Lindell has said Dershowitz is part of his team of lawyers. (CNBC)
Judge tosses challenge to renter protections
U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos of the Southern District of New York has tossed a lawsuit challenging a 2019 law that gave additional protections to renters in rent-stabilized buildings in New York. The measure bans landlords from rejecting tenants based on their rental history and makes it more difficult to convert rent-stabilized units to condos or co-ops. Ramos said lost profits aren’t a regulatory taking, and landlords have no constitutional right to an unregulated market. (The New York Daily News)
