A jury unanimously rejected former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R)’s libel lawsuit against The New York Times.

The suit stemmed from a 2011 editorial linking Palin to the shooting of then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ). Palin’s lawyers argued that the publication and its editorial editor James Bennet acted with “actual malice” in publishing the piece.

The Times later corrected the inaccuracies in the initial piece, noting a previous version had “incorrectly stated that a link existed between political rhetoric and the 2011 shooting.”

The jury’s decision comes after U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff indicated he would dismiss the lawsuit because Palin’s attorneys failed to prove that the NYT acted maliciously.

“I think this [was] an example of very unfortunate editorializing on the part of The Times,” Rakoff said.

“The law here sets a very high standard [for actual malice]. The court finds that that standard has not been met.”

A Times spokesperson said the publication welcomed the decision.

“It is a reaffirmation of a fundamental tenet of American law: public figures should not be permitted to use libel suits to punish or intimidate news organizations that make, acknowledge and swiftly correct unintentional errors.”

On the witness stand last week, Palin said the editorial devastated her.

“It was devastating to read, again, an accusation, a false accusation that I had anything to do with murder, murdering innocent people,” she said.

Palin’s lawyers are expected to appeal.

Source:

New York Times found not liable in Palin defamation case