What?
Can you say “character assassination”?
Still, the development highlights the risk for public figures in waging defamation lawsuits against media companies.
Zimmerman and Howard need to (1) prove that the documentary’s claims against them are false and damaged their reputations and (2) meet the “actual malice” standard for public figures in defamation lawsuits. To that end, they must establish that Al Jazeera America knowingly published false and damaging information or possessed reckless disregard for the information’s truth or falsity. In other words, Zimmerman and Howard need to show much more than the documentary was merely wrong and hurtful—they need to show it was recklessly reported.
Zimmerman and Howard must also attempt to mitigate the risk of public disclosures as their court battle lingers. Their litigation has been going on for five years and is currently at the summary judgment stage before Judge Jackson. Barring a settlement, the case could continue for years, particularly with the prospect of appeals. It remains to be seen what else might be alleged and which types of measures, if any, that MLB and sponsors—Zimmerman and Howard are likely bound by morals clauses in any endorsement deals—take.
Proving a negative is damned near impossible;
I remember being so happy when Al-Jihadi failed in the U.S. because no one watched it.
Howard’s career was over when he ruptured his Achilles in 2011. He was never the same player.
Al Jazeera has “Sealed evidence”??
Only the judge can do that.
How have they been defamed? If we’ve learned anything in the last couple of months it’s that cheating is cool.