Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News agree in $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit

On Tuesday, a Delaware court began hearing the defamation case against Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News Network. Judge Eric Davis finalised jury selection and appointed an expert witness on Tuesday morning. The court expected opening statements to begin at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. But as the hearing resumed after a significant delay at around 4pm, the parties announced that they had reached an agreement. The jurors were then thanked and dismissed by Mr Davis.

“I've been up all night, I can't do this.”

Under the lawsuit, Fox News allegedly defamed Dominion, a company that supplied some US states with voting machines in the 2020 presidential election, by repeating unsubstantiated claims that Dominion's voting machines had "reversed" votes for former President Donald Trump into votes for President Joe Biden. Dominion sought $1.6 billion in damages.

A total of 12 jurors and 12 alternate jurors were selected. Following the swearing in of the jury, one alternate juror was replaced after declaring, "I've been up all night, I can't do this." A Fox News public relations person was removed from the Delaware courtroom after being caught taking pictures.

In addition, Judge Davis appointed a special master to investigate Fox's discovery problems.

Judge Davis ruled on 31 March that statements given by Fox's broadcasters regarding large-scale voter fraud were false. The matter is to determine whether Fox made falsified statements with "actual malice", i.e. whether Fox knew or had reason to know that the statements were false.