New Trial Ordered in Sarah Palin’s Libel Case Against The New York Times

New Trial Ordered in Sarah Palin’s Libel Lawsuit Against The New York Times

A federal appeals court delivered a significant ruling on Wednesday, mandating a new trial in the high-profile libel case initiated by Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and Republican vice-presidential candidate. This lawsuit, which has garnered widespread attention, was originally filed against The New York Times.

The appeals court concluded that the initial trial, which resulted in a defeat for Palin in 2022, was compromised due to several questionable decisions made by the presiding judge. Palin’s lawsuit, first brought forth in 2017, accused The Times of defamation stemming from an editorial that inaccurately implied she had incited a tragic shooting at a political event in Arizona back in 2011. In her claims, Palin argued that the editorial severely harmed her reputation, despite The Times swiftly issuing a correction and an apology for the misleading content.

In the original trial held in New York City, a federal jury ultimately sided with The Times. Following this verdict, Palin filed an appeal, contending that the judge overseeing the case had improperly excluded key evidence. Additionally, she expressed concern that the jury may have been influenced by the judge’s premature indication that he intended to dismiss the lawsuit even while deliberations were ongoing.

The three-judge panel of the appeals court in New York found in favor of Palin, stating that Judge Jed S. Rakoff had committed multiple errors that “impugn the reliability” of the original verdict. Consequently, they called for a new trial.

In response to the ruling, Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson for The Times, expressed disappointment, stating, “This decision is disappointing. We’re confident we will prevail in a retrial.”