Judge Dismisses Sarah Palin’s Lawsuit Against the New York Times

Fake news wins this round.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin just had her lawsuit against the New York Times dismissed by a federal judge in Manhattan. Judge Jed Rakoff justified his decision by writing in the determining opinion, “In the exercise of that freedom, mistakes will be made, some of which will be hurtful to others.”

Gee, I guess it’s OK to destroy someone’s reputation because “mistakes sometimes get made.” How heartening.

Palin sued the Grey Lady over an editorial the paper published back in the summer following a Bernie Sanders fan boy shooting up a field of GOP congressmen. The illustrious editors of the Times likened the shooting to the time a Democrat congresswoman was shot by an insane man, linking the incident to Palin.

More from CNN:

Palin sued the newspaper earlier this summer over an editorial that drew a link between an advertisement from Palin’s political action committee and a 2011 shooting in Tucson, Arizona, in which six people were killed and then-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was severely wounded.

In the editorial, which was published online the day of the shooting at a congressional baseball practice this June, the editorial board suggested that Jared Lee Loughner, the man who carried out the Tucson massacre, was incited by a map from Palin’s PAC’s ad, which placed crosshairs over the congressional districts of several Democratic lawmakers, including Giffords’.

Well, isn’t that funny? The New York Times falsely accuses Palin of influencing someone to shoot a congresswoman. And then they pay no price, other than a judge saying “hey, mistakes are sometimes made.”

The New York Times celebrated the decision, with a spokesperson saying in a statement: “Judge Rakoff’s opinion is an important reminder of the country’s deep commitment to a free press and the important role that journalism plays in our democracy.”

Palin had hired the same lawyer who was instrumental in bankrupting the liberal publication Gawker after the site published a lewd tape of wrestler Hulk Hogan.

It’s not clear yet whether Palin will appeal.

What do you think? Was Palin in the right? Should the New York Times pay for posting a malicious and false claim against a public official? Tell us your thoughts below and share this story on Facebook and Twitter!

Jim E. is a true political insider, with experience working both in Washington and outside in real America. Jim... More about Jim E

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