A federal jury delivered a verdict against Sarah Palin on Tuesday, ruling against the former Alaska governor in her defamation lawsuit. The case involved an editorial published by the newspaper in 2017.
The jury reached its decision relatively quickly, deliberating for about two hours. This second trial came after Ms. Palin won a new one following her loss in the initial 2022 proceedings.
Ms. Palin's lawsuit centered on an editorial titled “America’s Lethal Politics.” It drew a comparison between a 2011 shooting in Arizona and a 2017 shooting in Virginia.
The editorial suggested a connection existed between the Arizona shooting and a digital graphic distributed by Ms. Palin's political action committee years prior. That graphic superimposed crosshairs over congressional districts held by Democrats.
However, an appeals court reviewing the initial trial noted that a link between the map and the shooting "was never established," as a federal appellate panel put it. The court observed the Arizona incident was viewed as a result of the shooter's mental illness.
Despite the paper's swift correction and apology for the inaccuracy in the editorial, Ms. Palin pursued the case, arguing the false statement damaged her reputation.
The case drew attention as a test of press freedom, with Ms. Palin's legal team expressing hope it could challenge the high standard public figures must meet to prove defamation against news organizations.
Ultimately, the jury found in favor of the defendant, rejecting Sarah Palin’s claim that she was defamed. The outcome reaffirms existing protections for the press, particularly concerning public figures.