CNN was just handed a slew of legal defeats in the $1 billion defamation case against them. On Monday, Judge William Scott Henry of Florida’s 14th Circuit Court sided with Plaintiff and Navy veteran Zachary Young on multiple motions against CNN, including compelling them to turn over their journalistic conduct guidelines, compelling them to comply with turning over documents necessary for financial discovery, and - much to the chagrin of CNN’s counsel - a deposition of anchor Jake Tapper.
As NewsBusters previously reported, CNN had filed a motion for a protective order to block Tapper from being deposed. Compelling that deposition during financial discovery was the first issue on the hearing docket. CNN counsel Allison Lovelady insisted that the Plaintiff only wanted a deposition so they could use it to “harass CNN and Mr. Tapper.”
In recounting Tapper’s declaration to the court in their motion for a protective order, CNN counsel Allison Lovelady quoted Tapper as saying “I have no knowledge about CNN's net worth. I don't have any knowledge regarding what the Tapper show may or may not generate that may go toward CNN's net worth."
Judge Henry came down hard on CNN’s effort to keep Tapper from being deposed. When issuing his ruling, the Judge seemingly suggested Tapper was being untruthful. “I kind of have a hard time believing what Mr. Tapper put in that declaration,” he said, referencing Tapper's stated lack of knowledge. "I have a feeling that is the basis of what time slot he gets and how much his contract is and everything else with CNN."
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***The complete post is on NewsBusters***
. Nick Kangadis
