Trial court just entered an Order in Nicholas Sandmann v. CNN allowing the case to move forward to discovery phase. A full factual record can now be developed. We continue our journey down the road to achieve justice for Nicholas. @ToddMcMurtry
— Lin Wood (@LLinWood) October 30, 2019
The ruling by US District Court Judge William Bertelsman partially reverses his own July decision to toss the suit on grounds that opinions published by the paper from Native American activist Nathan Phillips — whom was recorded in a viral standoff with Sandmann — were protected under the First Amendment.
Based off an amended complaint filed by the Kentucky student’s legal team, Bertelsman granted the plaintiff the ability to seek discovery from the Washington Post on three of 33 alleged libelous statements reported in the paper documenting the Jan. 18 incident in Washington, DC, according to the Washington Times.
The lawsuit can move forward but the focus is much more specific. In the lawsuit, Nick Sandmann accuses The Washington Post of libel, saying stories written about the January incident in Washington, D.C., shed a negative light on him, which led to him being disgraced on social media.
h/t dr0id