Political Activist Brandon Straka Loses Jan.-6-Related Libel Lawsuit Against NBC
"The material challenged in the plaintiff's complaint cannot be understood by a reasonable person as anything but substantially, if not literally, true."
Libel
Alleged "Psychic Intuition" Isn't Enough to Make a Federal Claim "Plausible" Enough to Withstand Dismissal
An allegedly psychic "Internet sleuth" alleged a professor was involved in the University of Idaho student murders; the professor sued; then the "sleuth" countersued.
Journal of Free Speech Law: "The Application of the New York Anti-SLAPP Scheme in Federal Court,"
by Matthew L. Schafer & Tanvi Valsangikar, just published, through our normal blind review process.
Giuliani Admits His Oft-Told Tale of Georgia Election Fraud Was Not True
Unlike calling Trump's stolen-election fantasy "the Big Lie," his lawyer's statements were demonstrably false assertions of fact.
Cryptocurrency Blogger: "Craig Wright Is a Fraud." Wright: "Libel!" Court: "Your Litigation Lies Mean You Win £1"
Wright claims he's Satoshi Nakamoto, who's credited with inventing Bitcoin; defendant claimed otherwise.
No Absolute Privilege for Accuser's Allegations in College Disciplinary Proceedings; #TheyLied Libel Lawsuit
alleging the accuser lied in the proceedings can thus go forward, holds the Connecticut Supreme Court.
Allegations That Particular Conduct Stemmed from a Racist Motivation Generally Aren't Defamatory
(though false allegations about the details of the conduct may be).
Journal of Free Speech Law: "Cheap Speech and the Gordian Knot of Defamation Reform," by Prof. Lyrissa Lidsky
Just published as part of the symposium on Media and Society After Technological Disruption, edited by Profs. Justin "Gus" Hurwitz & Kyle Langvardt.
First (?) Libel-by-AI (ChatGPT) Lawsuit Filed
"Every statement of fact in the summary [provided by ChatGPT] pertaining to [plaintiff] Walters is false."
Preliminary Injunction Against "Disparag[ing]" or "Frivolous" Claims About School Board or Employees …
violates the First Amendment, holds the Louisiana Court of Appeal.
What Does Tucker Carlson's Sudden Schism With Fox News Mean?
Plus: Should committed libertarians be opposed to pro-natalist policies?
The Fox/Dominion Settlement Highlights the Importance of Discovery in Proving 'Actual Malice'
Critics argue that excessively strict pleading standards prevent plaintiffs with meritorious defamation claims from obtaining the evidence they need to support them.
When Are Slurs and Vulgarities Defamation?
The Mississippi Court of Appeals splits 5-4 on the subject.
Plaintiff, Who Had Published an Article Describing Herself as Escort, Sues Newspaper for Calling Her an Escort
Plaintiff "asserts that her published work and other accounts describing life as an escort were part of an effort to build a career in writing and were entirely fictional. As for the websites and other internet advertisements cited by defendants, she claims that they were produced for the purpose of satisfying Medium’s 'fact-checking' requirements and possibly promoting a future fictional web series on the topic."
