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NEW YORK — A retrial is set to commence on Monday for Sarah Palin’s libel lawsuit against The New York Times, which she claims defamed her in an editorial published eight years ago.
The former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate is seeking to convince a federal jury that the newspaper inflicted harm on her reputation with a 2017 editorial that inaccurately connected her political rhetoric to a mass shooting. Palin asserts that this misrepresentation had a detrimental impact on her professional standing.
While The Times has recognized that the editorial contained inaccuracies, it has characterized the situation as an “honest mistake” that was quickly rectified.
The upcoming trial is expected to last about a week and follows a decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which restored the case last year. Jury selection is slated to begin Monday morning.
In February 2022, Judge Jed S. Rakoff in Manhattan dismissed Palin’s claims while a jury was in deliberation, allowing the jurors to issue a verdict that was unfavorable to Palin.
The appellate court criticized Rakoff’s dismissal for improperly stepping into the jury’s responsibilities and highlighted several procedural errors during the trial, including the exclusion of key evidence, misleading jury instructions, and incorrect responses to jury inquiries.
This retrial occurs amidst a broader trend where figures such as President Donald Trump have aggressively challenged media organizations when they perceive biased or inaccurate coverage.
Trump has initiated a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News over what he claims was an edited segment of a “60 Minutes” interview featuring his 2024 electoral rival, former Vice President Kamala Harris. He has also taken legal action against the Des Moines Register regarding a flawed Iowa election poll and has settled a case with ABC News following its erroneous assertion that he was found civilly liable for the rape of writer E. Jean Carroll.
Kenneth G. Turkel, representing Palin, did not respond to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson for The Times, emphasized that Palin’s claims arose from “a passing reference to an event in an editorial that was not about Sarah Palin.”
“That reference was an unintended error, and quickly corrected. We’re confident we will prevail and intend to vigorously defend the case,” Stadtlander stated in response.
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abcnews.go.com