A federal judge in Pennsylvania on Friday dealt President Donald Trump a substantial loss in his effort to fight back against a defamation lawsuit filed by the Central Park Five.
In a 13-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone ruled the plaintiffs' claims were not barred by the Keystone State's anti-SLAPP — or strategic lawsuit against public participation — law.
"The only issue before the Court is whether Plaintiffs' claims for defamation, false light, and intentional infliction of emotional distress (IEED) can survive given Pennsylvania's Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, otherwise known as its Anti-Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation Statute," the opinion notes. "Pennsylvania's Anti-SLAPP Statute (a state law) does not apply here, in federal court. Accordingly, Defendant's Motion shall be denied."
The ruling puts the kibosh on one of the remaining procedural protections available to the 45th and 47th president as he aims to avoid a trial over false claims that the five exonerated men formally "pled guilty" to a crime and that they "killed a person ultimately."
On Nov. 20, 2024, Trump requested a conference in anticipation of filing a motion to dismiss based on a failure to state a claim under the federal rules and the anti-SLAPP statute. In turn, the Central Park Five's attorneys argued Trump's...
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