Opening statements delayed in Dominion defamation case against Fox

WILMINGTON, Delaware, April 18 (Reuters) – Dominion Voting Systems Inc’s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox Corp (FOXA.O) and Fox News, according to attorneys for both sides Opening statements to the jury have been postponed to Tuesday. False voter fraud allegations in the 2020 U.S. presidential election for which the courts have not stated the reasons.

After a one-day stay ordered Monday by Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis in Wilmington, attorneys representing both sides finished selecting 12 jurors to decide the case on Tuesday. Opening statements did not take place early Tuesday afternoon as scheduled.

The reason for the delay was not disclosed, but two sources previously told Reuters that Fox and Dominion were in last-minute settlement talks.

The trial jury found one of the world’s largest media companies falsely claiming that its vote-counting machines were used to manipulate the election in favor of Democrat Joe Biden over Republican then-President Donald Trump. Selected to air allegations to determine if they defamed the Dominion.

In court earlier in the day, Davis pleaded with attorneys for both sides to expedite what he said would be a six-week trial.

“We’re going to keep it rigorous. I’m not going to give you extra time,” said the judge.

Davis told jurors that they had to “fight with human nature” and that the case should not be discussed with anyone. The judge called it “the most difficult thing to do during a trial”.

The main question for the jury is whether Fox deliberately spread false information or recklessly ignored the truth. Dominion, based on a number of internal communications, said that Fox staff, from newsroom employees to Murdoch, knew the statement was false, but that they would lose viewers to right-handed media competitors. He claims that he continued to broadcast them out of fear of

Dominion sued Fox Corp and Fox News in 2021, accusing its business of being ruined by false vote manipulation claims aired by an influential American cable news outlet known for its conservative roster of commentators. claimed.

About 200 people packed the courtroom. Journalists and members of the public began lining up outside the courthouse hours before it opened. Protesters in front of the building held up signs reading “foxes are guilty”.

Fox Corp shares were down about 0.5% at 33.82 in afternoon trading. The stock is up about 10% this year. Fox Corp reported annual sales of about $14 billion last year.

big names on the witness stand

The trial involved 92-year-old media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Fox chairman, Fox CEO Suzanne Scott, and on-air hosts such as Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Janine Pirro. It will feature testimony by

The trial was originally scheduled to start on Monday, but the judge delayed it by a day for no reason given, two sources told Reuters on Fox. and Dominion were in last-minute settlement talks. Fox and Dominion were still able to solve the case.

The trial is seen as a test of whether Fox’s reporting, as Dominion claims and Fox denies, has crossed the line between ethical journalism and the pursuit of ratings. portrayed himself in pretrial skirmishes as a defender of the freedom of the

In addition to Fox’s legal risks, another US voting technology company, Smartmatic, is pursuing its own defamation lawsuit seeking $2.7 billion in damages in New York state court.

Fox shareholders could portend lawsuits that seek to hold directors accountable for verdicts and settlements, so it’s important to ensure that directors and executives don’t properly disseminate Fox News coverage of Trump’s election fraud allegations. They are asking for company records that could show whether they monitored, the sources told Reuters.

Fox says Dominion’s $1.6 billion claim for damages is unrealistic and based on a flawed economic model. An expert report commissioned by Dominion attributes many of the contracts lost to his Fox reporting, but much of the report remains sealed.

After being sworn in, one of the selected substitute jurors shouted, “I can’t do this,” and Davis replaced the person.

Dominion accused Fox last week of failing to comply with certain obligations regarding evidence in the case. Davis on Tuesday appointed an independent arbitrator, a special master, to investigate and report to a judge by May 15.

Reporting by Helen Koster of Wilmington and Jack Queen of New York.Edited by Will Dunham

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