Judge delays Fox News-Dominion defamation trial start, reportedly to allow settlement talks

Fox News
(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The Delaware judge overseeing Dominion's $1.6 billion defamation suit against Fox News delayed the start of the high-profile trial until at least Tuesday. Superior Court Judge Eric Davis did not explain the 24-hour delay in his statement late Sunday, but The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post report that Fox News is exploring avenues to settle the case out of court. The trial, expected to last about six weeks, was supposed to start Monday morning with jury selection and opening statements. Neither Fox News nor Dominion commented on the delay.

Davis has already ruled that Fox News clearly made false and harmful statements about Dominion Voting Systems after the 2020 election, and that Fox's projected defense, that it was covering former President Donald Trump's false claims about Dominion rigging the election because they were newsworthy, is no defense against defamation.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.