subject: Does Sarah Palin Have A Case? [print this page] Sarah Palin has threatened to sue both the publisher and author of a may have threatened to sue the publisher and author of her biography titled The Rogue: Searching For the Real Sarah Palin. Palins lawyer, John Tiemessen, has sent a letter to Crown Publishing, a division of Random House, informing them of the potential lawsuit, stating that it is malicious for your company to publish a book wherein it, and the author, admit that they were fully aware the statements in the book were false, intended to be false, and were intended to harm,
Joe McGinniss, the author in question, included in the book a series of affairs, rumors and scandals, citing many of the sources as anonymous. The true test of defamation is whether McGinniss either knowingly published false information or if there was malicious intent. One New York attorney, who has defended his share of celebrities in defamation cases, put it simply by stating that the reporter or the author is not libelous merely for repeating or reporting false things about the subject, and thats really the key thing. It doesnt matter thats hes wrong. It matters whether or not he knew what he was writing was false.
While some attorneys feel it will be hard to prove actual malice, there may be proof that McGinnis was aware that his claims could be untrue. McGinnis had e-mailed Jesse Griffin, an Alaskan blogger, saying that no one as of yet had provided him with factual evidence of these claims, including that Palin had an affair with her husbands business partner, that one son was a drug addict and that another son was not even her biological child.
The e-mail said, Jesse, if you can put me in touch with people who are willing and able to substantiate any of the above, now is the time to do soOtherwise, I hope you won't complain that there are no startling new revelations in my book. Is this, however, enough evidence to prove that McGinnis had no real sources? Or could he have found confirmation to these rumors at the last minute?
Whether they have enough evidence to prove defamation or not, many people think Palin should not proceed with the lawsuit for her own good. The lawsuit may do more to harm her reputation than to save it, and McGinnis could go so far to subpoena DNA tests and eyewitness to prove his claims to be true.
As a Rio Grande Valley personal injury lawyer I understand how defamation can ruin a person's reputation. If you've been intentionally or maliciously defamed, please contact a personal injury attorney to learn more about your options.
