NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge set an April retrial date on Tuesday for Sarah Palin’s libel case against The New York Times, even as lawyers on both sides for the first time said they hope to engage in talks to settle the case.
Judge Jed S. Rakoff said during a telephone conference that the trial can begin April 14 if a deal can’t be made before then.
The lawsuit by the onetime Republican vice presidential candidate and ex-governor of Alaska stemmed from a 2017 Times’ editorial. Rakoff had dismissed the case in February 2022 as a jury was deliberating, but the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan restored her claim in August.
David L. Axelrod, a lawyer for the Times, told Rakoff that lawyers had spoken about exploring how to resolve the case, particularly since it has become harder to locate witnesses because so much time has passed.
“It may be that we don't need a trial at all,” he said.
Kenneth G. Turkel, a lawyer for Palin, agreed, noting that the two sides had never tried mediation.
He said lawyers wanted “to give it a shot.”
Rakoff seemed eager for a settlement.
“I’m all for that if you’re seriously interested in settling. You can settle it in a matter of days,” the judge said, adding that he could probably line up a magistrate judge within a day to meet with them and aid settlement talks.
Axelrod said the lawyers were interested in getting a third party to mediate. Turkel said they wanted “some type of discussion; we've had none.”
Palin sued the newspaper after an editorial falsely linked her campaign rhetoric to a mass shooting. Palin said it damaged her reputation and career.
The Times acknowledged its editorial was inaccurate but said it quickly corrected errors it described as an “honest mistake.” It also said there was no intent to harm Palin.
After Rakoff dismissed the case, he let the jurors finish deliberating and announce their verdict, which went against Palin.
In reversing Rakoff's ruling and opening the way for a new trial, the 2nd Circuit concluded that Rakoff made credibility determinations, weighed evidence, and ignored facts or inferences that a reasonable juror could plausibly find supported Palin’s case.
The appeals court also noted that Rakoff’s mid-deliberations ruling might have reached jurors through alerts delivered to cellphones and thus could “impugn the reliability of that verdict.”
FILE - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks to reporters as she leaves a courthouse in New York, Feb. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Republicans and Democrats awaited the outcome of vote-counting for crucial U.S. House districts in California on Wednesday, as the GOP moved within one win of maintaining control of the chamber next year.
In a rematch from 2022, Rep. Ken Calvert — the longest-serving Republican in the state’s congressional delegation — defeated rival Democrat Will Rollins in the 41st District, which lies east of Los Angeles and was a top target for national Democrats.
In Southern California's Orange County, Republican Scott Baugh conceded his race against Democrat Dave Min in a closely divided swing district, ending his bid to seize the seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Katie Porter.
The Associated Press has not yet declared a winner in that contest because thousands of ballots have not yet been counted.
In a post on the social media platform X Tuesday night, Baugh said that “despite running a strong campaign … that effort is going to come up a little short.”
The 47th District, southeast of Los Angeles, was a top target for national Republicans looking to protect and possibly expand the their narrow majority.
Calvert, who was backed by President-elect Donald Trump, claimed his 17th term in a district narrowly carried by Trump in 2020.
“This is a hard-fought victory that shows voters want someone who will put results above partisan politics,” Calvert said in a post on X.
On Tuesday, Republican Rep. David Valadao’s victory in California’s 22nd District moved Republicans within two wins of retaining the House gavel, with the tally 216-207 in favor of the GOP, as counting continued in a sliver of races across the country.
With Calvert's win, the Republican tally reached 217.
Several races remained in play in California that could determine control of the House.
Min, also posting on X, said that in Congress he will “fight to protect our democracy, safeguard our freedoms and expand economic opportunity.”
California is known as a liberal protectorate — Democrats hold every statewide office, dominate the Legislature and congressional delegation and outnumber registered Republicans by a staggering 2-1 ratio. Still, Republicans retain pockets of political clout in the Southern California suburbs and vast rural stretches, including the Central Valley.
Orange County was once considered conservative holy ground, where white, suburban homeowners delivered winning margins for Republicans year after year. It was a foundational block in the Reagan revolution. But the county has become more demographically diverse and Democratic over time, like much of the state.
The 47th District, which includes Huntington Beach and other famous surf breaks, has been occupied by Porter, a progressive favorite who in 2022 narrowly defeated Baugh, a former Republican legislator. Porter, known for grilling CEOs during Capitol Hill hearings, stepped aside to run for U.S. Senate, but lost in the primary.
Given the stakes in the closely divided district, the contest was especially rancorous. Min ads called Baugh a “MAGA extremist” who would endanger abortion rights. Baugh said Min’s “extreme liberal views” were out of step with the district.
FILE - Scott Baugh poses outside a polling place after voting in Huntington Beach, Calif., June 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Krysta Fauria, File)
FILE - California state Sen. Dave Min speaks to reporters in Huntington Beach, California, on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia, File)
FILE - Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
