I have previously expressed skepticism over some defamation cases against the media brought by President Donald Trump under existing case law. However, comedian Rosie O’Donnell may have supplied the President with a another defamation case if she cannot back up sensational claims made against the President to her 2.9 million TikTok followers. She states as a fact that the President is an “adjudicated rapist” and settled child abuse cases.
The United Kingdom’s public health service is reportedly refusing to release data on the potential relationship between the COVID vaccine and excess deaths. The reason? It would upset people to know the truth. The question is whether British citizens have become so passive and yielding that they will support their government, keeping them from learning the facts about vaccines and allowing them to reach their own conclusions.
Next time your dog begs for a treat, you might want to give it to him. In Pennsylvania, a dog reportedly wounded his owner with a shotgun left on the bed, while in North Carolina, a dog was caught on camera setting a house (of the assistant fire chief no less) on fire with a damaged lithium battery. Since I just finished teaching my torts students about animal liability, these cases offer a teachable moment for humans and canines alike.
President Donald Trump on Friday announced that he plans to file a defamation lawsuit against the BBC for up to $5 billion over a misleading edit of his January 6, 2021, speech for the investigative documentary series Panorama. While the BBC has apologized, pulled the program, and announced the resignation of two top executives, President Trump is demanding compensation. The lawsuit, however, would be challenging if filed in the United States. (For full disclosure, I previously served as legal analyst for the BBC). Continue reading “Trump Announces Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC”→
We have another Castle Doctrine or Stand Your Ground controversy this week. In Whitestown, Indiana, Maria Florinda Rios Perez, 32, died in her husband’s arms after the couple went to the wrong address to clean a house. The unidentified homeowner reportedly shot through the door. A GoFundMe site has been set up for her family. She was the mother of four.
“Something wicked this way comes.” Those words from William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” capture the approach of Halloween. For tort litigators, it is welcome news for a holiday that is a mix of slip-and-falls, food liability, and costume defects. Each year, we add to the list of Halloween torts.
As someone who has taught torts (including defamation) for three decades, I pay close attention to defamation claims coming out of campaigns. I often question the viability of such claims given the higher burden for public officials and public figures under controlling defamation cases. However, a claim during the New Jersey gubernatorial debate between Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, may have triggered a viable torts case. It occurred when Sherrill accused Ciattarelli of “killing thousands.”
Jay Jones, Virginia’s Democratic attorney general candidate, is under fire for shocking statements that expressed a desire to kill political opponents and their young “fascist” children. Despite the violent rhetoric, Democrats like Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Virginia, have stood by Jones and continue to campaign for his election. Now, however, Jones is accused of making disturbing comments about the benefit of killing a few cops as a warning to others. It is unclear whether the alleged comments were made in writing (as were earlier comments), and Jones has denied them.
Below is my column in The Hill on the spate of lawsuits against OpenAI over injuries associated with ChatGPT. These lawsuits could offer a long-needed review of OpenAI and its corporate practices. What is most needed is congressional action to examine not only the dominance of these AI systems but also the conduct of corporations like OpenAI.
As I approached the start of my first-year torts classes at George Washington University, we have a rather intriguing tort action being threatened by the First Lady. Melania Trump has been pursuing media outlets claiming that she was introduced to or had close contact with the notorious Jeffrey Epstein. However, the latest recipient of a notice letter is none other than the son of the prior president, Hunter Biden. Continue reading “Melania Trump Threatens Hunter Biden With $1 Billion Defamation Lawsuit”→
We have previously discussed the defamation case involving Georgia gynecologist Dr. Mahendra Amin who was allegedly defamed by MSNBC, including by host Rachel Maddow, as the “uterus collector.” Now, not long after a settlement of CNN of another defamation case, MSNBC appears to have forked over damages to Dr. Amin to avoid a trial.
We previously discussed the defamation lawsuit brought by Navy veteran Zachary Young against CNN and anchor Jake Tapper. Young has been doing well in court and last week he won on additional major issues against CNN. In a pair of orders, the jury will be allowed to award punitive damages and his experts would be allowed to be heard by the jury on the damages in the case. It also found that the Navy veteran was not a public figure and thus is not subject to the higher standard of proof associated with that status.
We have previously discussed the controversy surrounding Hunter Biden’s art sales. Many viewed the art as another avenue for political allies to funnel money to the Bidens. That was reinforced when it was discovered that the lucrative sales heralded by Hunter’s allies were found to have been largely the results of purchases by his “sugar bro” Kevin Morris. Now, experts say that whatever value is left in Hunter’s art will likely collapse with his father’s departure — the clearest indicator of the actual value of the art for “investors.” Hunter’s art appears to be moving from an impressionistic to a harsh realism period.
I have previously expressed skepticism over some defamation cases against the media brought by President Donald Trump under existing case law. However, comedian Rosie O’Donnell may have supplied the President with a another defamation case if she cannot back up sensational claims made against the President to her 2.9 million TikTok followers. She states as a fact that the President is an “adjudicated rapist” and settled child abuse cases.
