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 broadcast. The jury found The Oklahoman acted with actual malice, awarding Sapulpa $5 million in actual damages and $20 million in punitive damages. Sapulpa faced threats and harassment after being falsely identified, leading to his virtual termination from his position. The newspaper's owner, Gannett, expressed disappointment with the verdict and plans to appeal, claiming there was no evidence of malicious intent.
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.
Fox Corporation must face Smartmatic's $2.7 billion defamation suit, as ruled by a New York judge, while Smartmatic must also face Fox's counterclaims alleging the defamation claims are intended to suppress free speech. The judge denied Fox's motion to dismiss the defamation claims, stating that Corp. employees played an affirmative role in the publication of the defamation and acted with malice. However, the judge also denied Smartmatic's motion to dismiss Fox's counterclaims, which argue that the defamation claims were designed to quell free speech. This legal battle is part of at least eleven ongoing lawsuits over election conspiracy theories, and Fox Corp. is preparing to defend the case in trial, likely in 2025.
A New York judge ruled that Fox Corp must face Smartmatic's $2.7 billion defamation suit, while Smartmatic must also face Fox's counterclaims alleging the defamation claims are intended to suppress free speech. The ruling continues the lengthy court battle between the voting company and Fox News Corp over election conspiracy theories. The judge disagreed with Fox's motion to dismiss the claims, stating that Corp. employees played an affirmative role in the publication of the defamation, but also denied Smartmatic's motion to dismiss Fox's counterclaims. Fox had previously settled similar claims with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million.
A New York judge ruled that Smartmatic's defamation lawsuit against Fox Corporation, parent company of Fox News, can proceed, dealing a blow to Fox's leadership. The lawsuit stems from Fox's repeated airing of 2020 election lies, with the judge finding that Smartmatic's case is strong enough to proceed against the parent company. Smartmatic is seeking over $2 billion in damages and the case is still in the discovery phase, with major depositions taking place. The judge also allowed Fox News to continue its counterclaims against Smartmatic, alleging that Smartmatic's damages request is an attempt to silence the network's free-speech rights.
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.
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.
