After the Abu Ghraib prison scandal broke in early 2004, Air America Radio host Randi Rhodes described prison interrogators supplied by the defense contractor CACI as “killers” who raped children, showed no loyalty to America, and “fought on the side of apartheid.”
CACI and its legal team at Steptoe & Johnson shot back, filing a defamation suit in federal district court in Alexandria, Va. (aka the Rocket Docket). The court dismissed that suit in September 2006, and on Tuesday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did the same, ruling that all of Rhodes’ speech, even obvious exaggeration, was protected by the First Amendment. The court concluded that military contractors are public figures; as such, they had to prove that Rhodes acted with “reckless disregard for the truth” in making her claims. More damning still, the court found that many of Rhodes’ claims are backed by reliable sources.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]