Libel

Afternoon Briefs: Election lawyer referred for court discipline; public defender waiting list declared unconstitutional

Lawyer refers election lawyer for discipline U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia has referred a Minneapolis lawyer to a court grievance committee for possible discipline after he allegedly made “irrelevant allegations of fraud” in an election suit that did not rely on any fraud theories. The…

Feb 23, 2021 4:39 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Law deans want to delay employment reporting; Edelson parody videos tout untraditional mold

Law school deans want more time for reporting employment outcomes Citing the COVID-19 pandemic, law school deans have asked the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar to push back its law graduate employment data deadline from March to June. The data, which comprises the ABA’s annual…

Feb 12, 2021 4:27 PM CST

Accused of ‘outrageous and unfounded attacks’ on SCOTUS chief justice, pro-Trump lawyer stands by claims

A defamation defendant is pointing to a “barrage of false and violent tweets” by pro-Trump lawyer L. Lin Wood Jr. in a bid to oust him from a case in New York federal court.

Feb 11, 2021 2:16 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Giuliani, Powell sued by another voting machine company; Cooley ups its bonuses

Voting machine company sues Fox News, lawyers Voting machine company Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit Thursday against Fox News, three of its TV personalities, and lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. The suit claims that the defendants made Smartmatic the villain in a disinformation campaign claiming that the…

Feb 4, 2021 4:03 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Governor seeks Sidney Powell’s disbarment; ex-Davis Polk associate avoids sanctions

Michigan governor seeks disbarment of election lawyers Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is seeking disbarment of Texas lawyer Sidney Powell and three Michigan lawyers for claims made in unsuccessful lawsuits claiming an election fraud conspiracy. Whitmer alleged in a complaint to the State Bar of Texas that Powell “did not just…

Feb 2, 2021 4:55 PM CST

Voting machine company Dominion files $1.3B defamation lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani

Dominion Voting Systems has filed a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against lawyer Rudy Giuliani over his statements about the company’s voting machines.

Jan 25, 2021 11:37 AM CST

Pro-Trump lawyer is tossed from defamation case for ‘mendacity’ and ‘surprising incompetence’

A pro-Trump lawyer who was in the news recently for a typo has been tossed from a defamation case in Delaware.

Jan 12, 2021 12:10 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Man at Pelosi’s desk among those charged in Capitol riot; Dominion sues Sidney Powell

So far, more than 50 people face local and federal charges in Capitol riot So far, 13 people are facing federal charges in connection with rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, while about 40 people face charges in the District of Columbia superior court. Among those charged are Arkansas…

Jan 8, 2021 4:46 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Peremptory challenge curbs allowed; more federal courts halt jury trials

Juror shortages lead to curbs on peremptory challenges Judges in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, are allowed to ban or reduce peremptory challenges in civil cases to avoid running out of potential jurors. Judges asked and received permission from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to make the change because of a drop in…

Nov 20, 2020 4:06 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Trump campaign loses ballot access case; ex-Knicks player wins appeal

Top Pennsylvania court rules against Trump campaign The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has reversed an appellate order that gave observers from the Trump campaign closer access to the ballot count in Philadelphia County. The state supreme court’s 5-2 decision said Pennsylvania election law contemplates an opportunity to observe the count from…

Nov 17, 2020 4:48 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Trump faces suit over rape denial; Biden opposes SCOTUS term limits

Trump can be personally sued over rape denial A federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday refused to substitute the federal government as the defendant in a defamation suit filed against President Donald Trump by a woman who accused him of rape. The plaintiff, journalist E. Jean Carroll, had alleged that…

Oct 27, 2020 3:58 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: 1 murder count tossed in George Floyd case; DOJ lawyer turned away from courthouse

Judge tosses one murder charge against officer in George Floyd death A Minnesota judge on Thursday tossed one of the charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. Judge Peter Cahill of Hennepin County dismissed a third-degree murder charge but allowed charges of second-degree…

Oct 22, 2020 4:59 PM CDT

CNN defamed me by falsely reporting my impeachment views, Alan Dershowitz says in $300M suit

Lawyer Alan Dershowitz, a former professor at Harvard Law School, has filed a $300 million defamation lawsuit against CNN over its coverage of his views on high crimes and misdemeanors.

Sep 16, 2020 3:08 PM CDT

DOJ files rare request to represent Trump in columnist’s defamation lawsuit

In an unusual move Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice moved to intervene in a defamation lawsuit brought against President Donald Trump by E. Jean Carroll, an author and advice columnist who has accused him of sexual assault.

Sep 9, 2020 12:35 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: State files 100th lawsuit challenging Trump policies; 2 more firms reverse pay cuts

California files 100th suit against Trump administration California and 21 other states have filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration rule that curtails the scope of environmental reviews conducted to assess the impact of actions by federal agencies. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said it is the 100th suit filed…

Aug 31, 2020 4:45 PM CDT