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"Jury Awards $25 Million to Man Wrongfully Identified as Racist Sports Announcer"
1 year ago•Source: CBS News
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1.59 min•1 year ago
"Man Awarded $25M in Libel Suit Against Oklahoma Newspaper"
An Oklahoma jury awarded Scott Sapulpa $25 million after the state's largest newspaper mistakenly identified him as the announcer who made racist comments during a 2021 girls basketball game. The jury found the newspaper defamed Sapulpa and awarded him $5 million in actual damages and $20 million in punitive damages. The newspaper's owner, Gannett, expressed disappointment with the verdict and plans to appeal, stating that there was no evidence of acting with awareness of falsehood or intention to harm. The incident occurred when an announcer for a livestream made racist remarks, but it was later revealed that the owner of the streaming service was responsible and attributed his language to his blood-sugar levels.
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"Judge Permits Fox Corp. to Proceed with Counterclaim in Smartmatic Defamation Suit"
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Deadline
A New York judge has allowed Smartmatic's $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox Corporation to proceed, rejecting the network's attempt to dismiss the case. The judge also refused to dismiss Fox's counterclaim against Smartmatic, stating that the damages claim may be designed to chill the network's First Amendment rights. Smartmatic alleges that Rupert Murdoch and Lachlan Murdoch played a role in broadcasting defamatory statements, while Fox argues that the damages claim is implausible and disconnected from reality. The case is expected to go to trial in 2025.
Judge Allows Fox News to Proceed with Counterclaim in Smartmatic Defamation Suit
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Los Angeles Times
Fox News is pursuing a counterclaim against Smartmatic in response to the $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit, challenging the damages claim and asserting that it aims to stifle the network's free speech rights. A judge ruled in favor of Fox News, allowing the counterclaim to proceed, and also stated that the settled defamation case with Dominion Voting Systems cannot be the basis of a malice claim. The lawsuit stems from false statements made about Smartmatic's role in the 2020 election, and if a settlement is not reached, the case is expected to go to trial next year.