'He does not cite any authority': Trump fails to dismiss Central Park 5 defamation lawsuit, uses wrong argument

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Law & Crime

Jun 27th, 2025, 7:19 pm


A federal judge in Pennsylvania on Friday dealt President Donald Trump a substantial loss in his effort to fight back against a defamation lawsuit filed by the Central Park Five.

In a 13-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone ruled the plaintiffs' claims were not barred by the Keystone State's anti-SLAPP — or strategic lawsuit against public participation — law.

"The only issue before the Court is whether Plaintiffs' claims for defamation, false light, and intentional infliction of emotional distress (IEED) can survive given Pennsylvania's Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, otherwise known as its Anti-Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation Statute," the opinion notes. "Pennsylvania's Anti-SLAPP Statute (a state law) does not apply here, in federal court. Accordingly, Defendant's Motion shall be denied."

The ruling puts the kibosh on one of the remaining procedural protections available to the 45th and 47th president as he aims to avoid a trial over false claims that the five exonerated men formally "pled guilty" to a crime and that they "killed a person ultimately."

Read more: https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/he-does-not-cite-any-authority-trump-fails-to-dismiss-central-park-5-defamation-lawsuit-uses-wrong-argument/

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Link to RULING (PDF) - https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25985714-salaam-v-trump-opinion/

[Gimpyknee]

1. I'm not hopeful anything will come of this.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. It's a civil case

and there are other civil cases (like the 2 from E. Jean Carrol and the NY fraud one) that are STILL going and moving slowly through the courts. In order to appeal, he has had to put the money owed (or at least some negotiated amount like was done with the fraud case) in escrow.

[Bengus81]

3. I think it will and a jury will award big bucks but it will take years

They should have filed this suit ten years ago against that POS.

[republianmushroom]

4. Good

[Sanity Claws]

5. Why is this case in Pennsylvania?

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Because this is where the defamation happened

Explained in his earlier attempt to get it thrown out -

Federal judge refuses to dismiss Central Park Five’s defamation case against President Trump


By Associated Press Marc Levy April 11, 2025


A federal judge has rejected President Donald Trump‘s effort to dismiss a defamation lawsuit against him filed by the men formerly known as the Central Park Five who were exonerated after spending more than a decade in prison for the 1989 rape and beating of a woman who was jogging.

U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia denied Trump’s motion to dismiss in a brief Thursday night order.

The five men sued Trump in the midst of last fall’s presidential election campaign, accusing him of making “false and defamatory statements” about them during the Sept. 10 debate in Philadelphia with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump misstated key facts of the case when Harris brought up the matter, saying “They admitted, they said, they pled guilty. And I said, ’well, if they pled guilty they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately. And if they pled guilty — then they pled we’re not guilty,’” Trump said.

(snip)

[Sanity Claws]

8. Thanks for the explanation

[BumRushDaShow]

9. That debate was here in Philly

and 45 spent quite a bit of time "stepping in it", which is why that was the ONLY debate!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. This case will be fun to watch

[Ruby the Liberal]

10. POTUS Cartman believes he is the ultimate authority