Judge delays start of Fox News defamation trial hours before high-profile hearing begins
A Delaware judge delayed the opening of a closely watched trial between a voting machine company and Fox News involving a $1.6bn defamation lawsuit against the network.
The trial was scheduled to begin inside Delaware Superior Court in Wilmington on 17 April following last week’s pre-trial hearings and jury selection. Judge Eric Davis did not cite a reason for the delay on Sunday night.
Attorneys for Fox were set defend the network against Dominion’s argument that false statements about the company in the wake of the 2020 presidential election were defamatory and cost Dominion significant business and reputational harm.
Defamation cases rarely go to trial, but it will be up to a jury to determine whether the claims that were aired on Fox News meet the high bar for the “actual malice” standard – knowingly presenting false claims with reckless disregard for the truth.
This is a developing story
