Tag: defamation
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Federal judge proposes sanctions against Mike Lindell’s lawyers for continued fake citations
A federal judge is once again pursuing sanctions against lawyers for MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell for continuing to cite to court cases that do not exist, likely based on the faulty output of artificial intelligence tools. Last year, a jury in Colorado awarded plaintiff Eric Coomer $2.3 million in damages against the defendants, Lindell and…
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Public figures have limited path to sue over accusations of criminality, says appeals court
Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week that a public figure cannot sue for defamation solely because a person publicly accuses them of committing a crime, as the statement may be constitutionally protected opinion. A three-judge Court of Appeals panel narrowed the claims that Academy School District 20 board member Derrick Wilburn may pursue against Bernadette…
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Colorado justices lay down framework for analyzing defamation lawsuits involving ‘public interest’ issues
The Colorado Supreme Court clarified on Monday how judges should evaluate whether lawsuits arising from a person’s speech — in particular, online consumer reviews — are connected to an “issue of public interest” and merit protection from legal liability. As part of the framework, the justices concluded a person’s motive in speaking is irrelevant to…
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Federal judge advances defamation lawsuit from woman called ‘prostitute’ at party
A federal judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss a defamation lawsuit stemming from a 2024 party at which the defendant allegedly called the plaintiff a “prostitute.” Tiffany Mai alleged that during a July 2024 dance at a luxury dude ranch in Granby, attendee Laura Elsaden approached other guests and “began making defamatory, slanderous, and false…
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Appeals court dismisses state contractor’s defamation suit against Denver7
Colorado’s second-highest court agreed earlier this month that a former vaccine distribution contractor for the state failed to show Denver7 should be liable for defamation through its series of stories about the company’s problems. Between 2021 and 2022, Denver7 published four articles describing employees of Jogan Health, LLC not receiving payments, false statements in Jogan…
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Defamation suit may proceed against conservative radio outlet, talk show host: appeals court
A former executive of Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems may proceed with his defamation lawsuit against the owner of a conservative talk radio station and one of its hosts, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled on Thursday. The latest in a string of recent decisions favoring plaintiff Eric Coomer, a three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals concluded Coomer…
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Appeals court tells Grand County judge to reexamine spat between town officials
Colorado’s second-highest court directed a Grand County judge last week to conduct further analysis of the defamation claim by two former Grand Lake officials against the ex-town manager. The immediate issue before the Court of Appeals was relatively narrow: Did defendant John Crone act “willfully and wantonly” when he sent a 2021 email to the…
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2024 closes period of turnover on Colorado’s bench | YEAR IN REVIEW
New faces, new initiatives and a new judicial discipline process were among the developments in the third branch of government this year. Although much of the public’s focus was on the battle for the White House and Congress, several stories implicating the courts will have reverberations for years to come. Here is a look at…
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Colorado Springs school board member files lawsuit against district parent
Editor’s note: In response to a question about banning certain materials from school libraries, Academy District 20 school board member Derrick Wilburn read passages from books currently available in D-20 middle and high schools, including a sexually explicit excerpt from the novel “Push.” An Academy District 20 school board member has filed a lawsuit alleging that…
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Colorado Supreme Court to examine whether portion of anti-SLAPP law is unconstitutional
The Colorado Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will address whether lawmakers inadvertently violated the state constitution by creating a unique pathway for appeals under a law designed to shield First Amendment conduct from lawsuits. At least three of the court’s seven members must agree to hear a case on appeal. The justices also accepted…