Following a 7-day trial, jurors have started to consider whether to hold the New York Times liable for defaming Sarah Palin, after the American politician’s lawyer accused the newspaper of falsely associating her in a 2017 editorial with a mass shooting in Arizona. This is an association that the lawyer for the New York Times is calling an “honest mistake.”
Palin’s lawyer Kenneth Turkel said the New York Times and its former editorial page editor, James Bennet, turned a “blind eye” to the truth as it spread false information that caused damage to Palin’s reputation.
In response, the lawyer for the New York Times, David Axelrod, said that the editorial was an “honest mistake” and was not intended as a “political hit piece.” He also said that Palin failed to demonstrate that the article had harmed her reputation.
Axelrod urged the jurors to consider the need for a robust press to provide news coverage and express opinion, citing protections granted by the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
On Monday, jurors will resume deliberations following a meeting on Friday.
