Court Nixes Roy Moore Defamation Victory in $8.2M Award

An 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel vacated Roy Moore’s $8.2 million defamation award, saying Moore as a public figure failed to prove the defendant acted with actual malice in a 2017 Senate campaign ad by Senate Majority PAC; the court characterized the decision as at most a negligent misstep rather than malice, prompting potential further appeals, including a possible Supreme Court look at the malice standard. Moore’s suit tied to allegations of sexual misconduct, including a reference to a 14-year-old in a mall anecdote; SMP said the ruling vindicates its ad, while Moore’s attorney hinted at seeking review.}