Supreme Court sides with the press and refuses to revive CNN defamation lawsuit

• The Supreme Court declined to revive a $300 million defamation lawsuit filed by attorney Alan Dershowitz against CNN, stemming from the network’s coverage of his remarks during President Trump’s 2020 impeachment defense.
• Dershowitz, a retired Harvard Law School professor, alleged that CNN distorted his comments by airing only a segment of his remarks, creating the impression he argued a president could evade impeachment for illegal acts if committed for re-election.
• CNN maintained it aired his full remarks and Dershowitz failed to demonstrate the network intended to mischaracterize his statements, leading lower courts to dismiss the lawsuit due to lack of "actual malice."
• Dershowitz had pressed the court to revisit the precedent set by New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, which requires public figures to prove a media outlet knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
• While the majority issued a brief, unexplained order, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented, urging the court to re-evaluate the stringent legal standards applied to public figures in defamation claims.

IN FULL

Supreme Court won’t revive Alan Dershowitz’s $300 million lawsuit against CNN