Out Of Bounds: Judge Dismisses Daly's Lawsuit Against Newspaper
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Judge's Dismissal Of Daly's Defamation Suit
Against Paper Ends Four Years Of Litigation |
Duval County (FL) Circuit Court Judge Hugh Carithers has thrown out golfer John Daly's defamation lawsuit against the Florida Times-Union and former columnist Mike Freeman, "canceling an April trial and ending four years of litigation," according to Paul Pinkham of the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION. Daly sued the newspaper in '05 claiming a column written by Freeman on March 25, 2005, during The Players Championship "defamed him by referring to his 'thug-life qualifications,' including domestic-violence accusations, Daly's three children by different women and the golfer's 'rap sheet.'" Carithers "granted the newspaper's request to summarily dismiss the lawsuit, ruling in an order received by lawyers Monday that the portions of the column at issue were either undisputed facts or constitutionally protected opinion." Carithers also found that there was "no actual malice, meaning he determined Freeman didn't knowingly publish untruths." Freeman currently works for CBSSports.com. Carithers said that he would "retain oversight of the case for the purpose of determining the appropriateness of the Times-Union recouping costs and attorney fees." Daly's attorney, Lydia Jones, said that "all options are being considered, including an appeal" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 3/24).
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