A Florida court ordered a delay in a trial date for Hogan v. Gawker involving publication of an edited sex tape. Hogan and his lawyer wanted the trial to begin on July 6 contesting whether Gawker was protected by the First Amendment in invading Hogan’s personal life. (Poynter Institute, July 6, 2015, by Benjamin Mullin)
A jury in the case will have to decide if the sex tape under Florida law is of “legitimate public concern.” Hogan’s lawyer contends that under the law pornographic does not qualify as newsworthy. First Amendment advocates are concerned that a jury rather than news editors are defining the sex tapes’ newsworthiness. (CNN, June 17, 2015, by Tom Kludt)
A federal district court ruled for Gawker in 2012. In the separate Florida case, Hogan may also face defeat since he compromised his privacy rights by discussing his intimate affairs in detail on public broadcasts. If Hogan were to prevail in the $100 million lawsuit, Gawker could be forced to shut down. (Motherboard, July 1, 2015, by Maria Bustillos)