Supreme Court Declines Dershowitz Defamation Appeal

The Supreme Court declined Monday to take up Alan Dershowitz's appeal in a defamation case, allowing lower court proceedings to proceed without high court intervention.

Dershowitz, a former Harvard Law School professor and media commentator, sought review of his case in the nation's highest court. The justices did not provide reasoning for their decision to deny the appeal.

The case touched on legal territory governed by New York Times v. Sullivan, a 1964 Supreme Court decision that established protections for news organizations reporting on public figures. Under that precedent, media outlets covering public officials or public figures face a higher legal standard to prove defamation than private citizens do. A plaintiff must typically demonstrate that the defendant acted with actual malice, meaning the defendant published false information while knowing it was false or acting with reckless disregard for the truth.

By declining to hear Dershowitz's case, the Supreme Court left that precedent intact. The decision means the lower court ruling in Dershowitz's case remains the final judgment in that matter.

Dershowitz has maintained a public profile for decades, appearing frequently on cable news and writing commentary on legal and political matters. His defamation suit centered on statements made about him in news coverage, though the specific publications and claims at issue were not detailed in Monday's order.

The Supreme Court regularly declines the vast majority of cases submitted for review. The Court receives thousands of petitions each year but accepts fewer than 100 cases for full argument and decision.