US judge throws out Sarah Palin’s defamation suit against The New York Times
- The ex-Alaska governor and former VP candidate had sued the newspaper for incorrectly linking her to a mass murder in one of its editorials
- In a twist, the judge says he will enter his order after the jury finishes its own deliberations
A US judge on Monday threw out Sarah Palin’s lawsuit accusing The New York Times of defaming the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican US vice-presidential candidate by incorrectly linking her in an editorial to a mass murder.
US District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said he will order the dismissal of Palin’s lawsuit, but in an unusual twist will enter his order after the jury finishes its own deliberations.
Rakoff said he expected Palin to appeal, and that the appeal court “would greatly benefit from knowing how the jury would decide it”.
The judge’s order effectively pre-empted a potential jury verdict to the contrary, in a case seen as a test of long-standing protections for American media.
Jurors began deliberating on Friday and resumed their work on Monday. They are not being told about the judge’s ruling, and will continue deliberations.