Lawyer Alan Dershowitz loses appeal in CNN defamation case
Source: CNN Business/Reuters
PUBLISHED Aug 29, 2025, 8:07 PM ET
Retired Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz lost his bid on Friday to overturn a ruling that dismissed his defamation lawsuit against CNN over the news channels coverage of remarks he made during President Donald Trumps 2020 impeachment trial.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Dershowitz presented no evidence that CNNs reporters and commentators operated with actual malice in covering Dershowitzs defense of Trumps push for Ukraine to investigate his rival in the 2020 race, Democrat Joe Biden.
Dershowitz made a spontaneous series of remarks before Congress that, he says, were misinterpreted by pundits. But even if those commentators did report incorrectly on Dershowitzs statements, he has offered no evidence that they did so intentionally, Judge Britt Grant wrote in the majority opinion.
Dershowitz in an interview said he would appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the 11th Circuit decision relied on a landmark 1964 ruling by the high court, New York Times v. Sullivan, that he said has been expanded unrealistically to make lying journalists immune.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/29/business/alan-dershowitz-defamation-cnn
Link to RULING (PDF) - https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26079252-dershcnnca11opn082925/

Mike Nelson
(10,742 posts)... any headline with "Alan Dershowitz loses" is a good one!
BoRaGard
(7,532 posts)And no one has identified The Dersh (r) as THE Pedo Bestie (r).
That title still held -- undisputedly -- by the overfed republicon felon and golf-cheat-in-chief, Krasnov himself.
Old Crank
(6,219 posts)niyad
(127,214 posts)LymphocyteLover
(8,740 posts)blowback for his abhorrent views
ReRe
(11,922 posts)Why is it some people don't know when to call it quits? Is it because he's like djt, addicted to the limelight?
LymphocyteLover
(8,740 posts)I always considered him kind of a liberal stalwart and certainly a very smart guy*...until Dump came along. And now he's sold his soul now for this loathsome lying criminal psychopath. So strange.
*Just my superficial impression of him from his criminal defense work and position at Harvard
ReRe
(11,922 posts)when he started "hanging" around with the Epstein/Maxwell/djt crowd. It just seems like he had a guilty complex.
Was defending himself all the time. Everyone makes mistakes in life. Character comes when you know when to hold em, know when to fold um, know when to walk away and know when to run.
LymphocyteLover
(8,740 posts)muriel_volestrangler
(104,704 posts)... responsible for his acts" was defamation of Dershowitz. And then a Supreme Court decision ruled that president can't be criminally responsible for his acts. And he's now asking for the SC to rule that he was defamed when CNN claimed he had anticipated the SC.
FakeNoose
(38,628 posts)... like so many other cult-MAGAs have tried to do. I'm glad CNN didn't!
moonshinegnomie
(3,627 posts)Dershowitz, a former lawyer for President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, took to social media last week to decry the bigoted vendor he claimed refused to sell him pierogi over his political views. Threatening legal action, Dershowitz specifically suggested the owners of Good Pierogi took issue with his outspoken Zionism and his decision to defend Trump during the presidents first Senate impeachment trial.
https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/08/07/dershowitz-pierogi-gate-feud-with-marthas-vineyard-vendor-escalates
wolfie001
(6,127 posts)
Historic NY
(39,278 posts)
Submariner
(13,117 posts)Now, the welcome mat has been taken away anywhere he goes. He is a pariah. No invites to dinner parties. Told to leave restaurants, and don't come to the library anymore.
His Trump and Epstein associations have destroyed his life and he's having a hard time reconciling with that. He will only be found at palm beach parties with the Hannity's, trump's, Judge Cannon, and all the other white trash scum of the county.
He might win with the Supremes. The Epstein pedo pervert will call his pal Johnny and have him vote Dersch's way, STFU about it, and enjoy a Heritage Foundation vacation package to a world class resort of your choosing.
Dr. T
(390 posts)Submariner
(13,117 posts)the Heritage Foundation vacation packages take the supremes to anywhere in the world they want to go, but certainly not that place.
littlemissmartypants
(29,746 posts)Playingmantis
(458 posts)He is just an opportunist lawyer who chases fame like other chase ambulences..Disgusting man.
Dr. T
(390 posts)unrealistically to make lying journalists immune."
Is that why every one of the lying liars on Faux News have not been fired and prosecuted?
Pototan
(2,859 posts)Lying sack of shit.
barbtries
(30,766 posts)does not require malice. boo hoo asshole
spooky3
(37,874 posts)where he will likely be appreciated for his lunacy and invited to lots of parties.
ReRe
(11,922 posts)They even have red dirt!
KPN
(16,917 posts)ificandream
(11,360 posts)ificandream
(11,360 posts)extension://moflefeaglahaffdcfllaceiidcfmpdb/lib/pdfjs/web/viewer.html?file=https%3A%2F%2Ftile.loc.gov%2Fstorage-services%2Fservice%2Fll%2Fusrep%2Fusrep376%2Fusrep376254%2Fusrep376254.pdf
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(128,643 posts)Since Martha's Vineyard doesn't want to sell you one.
johnnyfins
(2,893 posts)Dick...
Marcuse
(8,682 posts)