Battle for Truth: Fox News Defamation Trial Kicks Off

Opening statements are set to begin in this sensational $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit. Dominion sued Fox in March 2021 alleging that the network deliberately spread conspiracy theories linking its machines to vote rigging in the 2020 presidential election.

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Attorney Justin Nelson, representing Dominion Voting Systems, speaks at a news conference outside New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, Del., after the defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News was settled just as the jury trial was set to begin, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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The courts must decide whether Fox News knowingly spread lies that harmed Dominion Voting Systems in a defamation case that could redefine the news media’s First Amendment protections.

Opening statements are set to begin in this sensational $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit. Dominion sued Fox in March 2021 alleging that the network deliberately spread conspiracy theories linking its machines to vote rigging in the 2020 presidential election. These claims have been debunked, yet they were consistently featured on Fox News by hosts and guests, and spread by former President Donald Trump.

Representatives of Fox News arrive at the justice center for the Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox News, Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Fox argues that they were merely reporting on newsworthy allegations and that their broadcasts are protected by the First Amendment. However, the judge ruled that Fox cannot rely on free speech protections in their defense due to their responsibility as a broadcaster to ensure accuracy.

The trial is set to continue until late May. We will see high-profile witnesses, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Fox host Tucker Carlson, Maria Bartiromo, and Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott.

Attorney Justin Nelson, second right, representing Dominion Voting Systems, arrives at the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, Del., for the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit against Fox News, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.

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