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3w ago

Sarah Palin’s Defamation Retrial Against The New York Times Begins

The retrial, stemming from a 2017 editorial falsely linking Palin to a mass shooting, follows procedural errors in the initial trial and carries significant implications for press freedom and defamation law.

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FILE - Sarah Palin, a Republican seeking the sole U.S. House seat in Alaska, speaks during a forum for candidates, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)
FILE - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is escorted to her car by Ron Duguay after leaving the courthouse in New York, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, after she told a jury she felt like she was at the mercy of a "Goliath" when she first learned a 2017 New York Times editorial suggested her campaign rhetoric helped incite a mass shooting. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Overview

  • A jury has been selected in Manhattan for the retrial of Sarah Palin's libel lawsuit against The New York Times, with opening statements scheduled to begin Tuesday.
  • The case centers on a 2017 editorial that inaccurately linked Palin's campaign rhetoric to a 2011 mass shooting, which The Times has acknowledged as an error and corrected, calling it an 'honest mistake.'
  • The retrial was ordered after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cited significant procedural errors in the 2022 trial, including Judge Rakoff's premature dismissal and jury misconduct concerns.
  • Palin argues the editorial damaged her reputation and career, while The Times maintains it did not act with 'actual malice,' the high legal standard required for defamation claims by public figures.
  • The case is being closely watched for its potential impact on the landmark NYT v. Sullivan precedent and as a reflection of shifting public attitudes toward media accountability and press freedom.