President Donald Trump’s lawyers on Sunday sought to appeal a New York judge’s ruling last week that the defamation lawsuit against Trump filed by former “Apprentice” contestant Summer Zervos can proceed.
New York Supreme Court Judge Jennifer G. Schecter ruled last month that Zervos’ lawsuit against the President can proceed. Trump had sought the case’s dismissal, arguing that a sitting President cannot face lawsuits in state court. Schecter disagreed with the argument from Trump’s lawyer, and allowed Zervos’ case to proceed.
Zervos filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump in January 2017 over his denial of her accusation that he inappropriately groped and kissed her in 2007. Gloria Allred recently left Zervos’ legal team in the case but said that her departure had nothing to do with the merits of the lawsuit.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
I just hope this doesn’t push Hair Furor into dropping bombs somewhere as a distraction.
Wasn’t it Trump who wanted to loosen up the libel and defamation laws?
Oh … right. Just for his benefit.
Is it an appealable order? Like the incompetent attorneys representing him would even know. If the “appeal” is by way of a petition for writ like it would be in California, the odds of success would be something like .5% (yes, that small —along the lines of don’t even bother.)
I’d like to hear from New York lawyers on how this can be appealed. In most states, appeals have to wait for a final judgment. In New York I know that the denial of a motion for summary judgment (a motion to throw a case out before trial on the basis that there is not enough evidence for the plaintiff to win) can be appealed. But I don’t know that a motion to dismiss the complaint can be. Any New York lawyers out here?
Yes. Appealing this only prolongs the story.
(Note to self: Why on earth do you want to keep telling Trump what he should do? Just say, “Please proceed, sir,” and have done with it.)