Federal Appeals Court Upholds Dismissal of Alan Dershowitz CNN Defamation Suit

Alan Dershowitz, renowned criminal defense lawyer and Harvard Law professor emeritus, has faced a federal appellate court ruling that upheld the dismissal of his $300 million defamation lawsuit against CNN. The lawsuit stemmed from CNN's coverage that allegedly misrepresented Dershowitz's defense of President Donald Trump during the Ukraine impeachment trial by selectively editing his remarks to suggest Trump could act illegally yet avoid impeachment. Although the three-judge panel unanimously agreed to dismiss the case, U.S. Circuit Judge Barbara Lagoa concurred with the view that CNN "simply lied" about Dershowitz's defense, indicating potential grounds for further review and possibly challenging the precedent set by the 1964 New York Times v. Sullivan defamation ruling. The court, led by Trump appointee Judge Britt Grant, found that Dershowitz failed to provide evidence that CNN's reporters or commentators intentionally misled their audience, concluding they sincerely believed their interpretation was accurate. Dershowitz plans to request further evaluation based on Judge Lagoa's concurrence, which aligns with Justice Clarence Thomas's suggestion that the Supreme Court should reconsider the longstanding defamation standard. The case highlights ongoing tensions in defamation law, especially regarding public figures and media coverage of politically charged events like President Trump's impeachment.