VCDL Lawsuit Against Katie Couric Dismissed

[thallub]

VCDL sued Katie Couric for 12 million dollars for defamation over her airing of the show "Under The Gun".

Federal Judge John Gibney of the Eastern District of VA dismissed the lawsuit.

https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/jud...ouric-gun-doc/

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I hope VCDL made the most of the discovery process.

[Aguila Blanca]

"The sophistry of VCDL members"?

Originally Posted by Merriam-Webster

Definition of sophistry
plural sophistries

1
: subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation

2
: sophism 1

If that standard were applied to politics, there isn't a politician in office who would be allowed to run for reelection.

Further, I'd say hizzoner is engaging in a bit of "sophistry" himself.

Pot, may I introduce Kettle ...

[mehavey]

If there was "sophistry," it was precisely on the part of Kouric and her editors.

Sophistry: the use of fallacious arguments, especially with the intention of deceiving.

What we are seeing is not just the politicization of the Justice system -- which has been w/ us always to some degree -- but one that makes, writes and publisher opinions in the clear belief that either the public is too stupid to see what is clearly before them, or too powerless to do anything about it if they do.

.

[KyJim]

Eugene Volokh comments on this over at the Volokh Conspiracy. He doesn't think it is libelous because it doesn't hold anyone up for shame or disgrace or ridicule in the legal sense. He disagrees with the judge that VCDL practiced sophistry because:

Hawes’s response — that there are laws banning felons from possessing guns — is most certainly an “answer [to the] query about how to stop the wrong people from getting guns without background checks.” In fact, it is the normal answer that our legal system usually gives. How do we stop people from robbing people? In large part, by having laws that punish robbery. How do we stop journalists from libeling people? In large part, by having laws that punish libel (though usually through civil liability rather than criminal liability).

I always thought the libel suit was a long shot but it served a purpose --- to make a larger number of people aware of the unethical journalism.