(TheRedWire.com) – In a new letter this week, lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems requested Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis to be allowed to call Fox. Corp. executives Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch as witnesses in the trial, which is scheduled to begin later this month.
Dominion has filed a $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News, which is now set to have a jury trial. On Wednesday Davis ruled that Dominion would be allowed to call on them for testimony. In the pretrial hearing which took place on Wednesday, Davis also indicated he would be open to having Murdoch testify in the case if Dominion’s lawyers issue a subpoena.
The defamation case relates to Dominion’s claims the network had continued to perpetuate former President Donald Trump’s unfounded claims about a stolen election, and rigged voting software, which is provided by Dominion, despite knowing the claims were untrue.
Last week Davis dismissed Fox’s latest attempts to have the case dismissed and claimed that Dominion had effectively proven the primary element in their defamation claim, which is that the network made false statements about Dominion in relation to the 2020 presidential election. He also ruled that a jury would be required in order to determine whether Fox had acted with actual malice or had recklessly disregarded the truth. Proving either of these is essential if Dominion wants to win its defamation suit.
Fox has repeatedly used the First Amendment to defend itself, and has fought against having Murdoch testify in the case.
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