The Full Employment for Lawyers Act of 2021

Want a lucrative career? Go to law school now and prepare for a career in defamation lawsuits. After all, didn't you hear that in his memoirs Donald Trump plans to "settle scores" in a tell-all book once out of office?

https://hillreporter.com/report-trump-planning-tell-all-book-to-settle-scores-once-out-of-office-29927

Of course, no one has probably told him that he can be SUED for DEFAMATION - and there won't be that sitting-president protection rule to help him.

On the other hand, once we see his tax returns it might prove that he's not nearly as wealthy as he has claimed to be and several thousand people will be fighting over mere pocket change.

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jackjjackson · 61-69, M

As long as he sticks to skewering public figures he should be fine.

beckyromero · 36-40, F

@jackjjackson

Defamation laws protect everyone.

As for public figures, essentially only the press has enjoyed a greater latitude by the Courts.

jackjjackson · 61-69, M

Truth is an absolute defense and pinning down a true defamatory comment regarding a public figure is extremely difficult. @beckyromero

beckyromero · 36-40, F

@jackjjackson

Two words: [b]Jesse Ventura[/b].

Malice is also a key part. And with Trump, malice may be very easy to prove.

Here are two other recent examples of defamation and libel.

[i]ABC News v Beef Products Inc[/i], “The Pink Slime case” (United States)

[i]ABC News[/i] and Beef Products Inc. reached a $177m million settlement after the news outlets report in 2012 that the food production company made low-cost processed beef that equated to “pink slime”. In a defamation lawsuit the food producer sought $1.9billion damages, later settling with the parent company of ABC, Disney.

The [i]New York Times[/i] and [i]Business Insider[/i] estimated that as much as $5.7bn in damages could have been awarded to the meat producer in the event of a successful claim.

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Gill v Anagnost, Crews and Grenier (United States)

A libel action brought in the New Hampshire state court concerning the posting of defamatory statements on a billboard by mortgage broker Michael Gill. The billboard was owned by Gill’s company, Mortgage Specialists Inc, and publicised statements accusing the claimants of criminal acts.

In finding for the claimants a jury awarded a total of $247m in damages to the three businessmen. The cases was noted as being the highest award of damages in a defamation case in New Hampshire, the jury took into account the placement of the billboard next to a public highway and the extremely serious nature of the allegations which were made.

The case was covered by US News and Law 360.

jackjjackson · 61-69, M

Sounds like those cases were resolved correctly. In your hypothetical I suspect the president’s editors will be extremely vague and impossible to pin down. @beckyromero

beckyromero · 36-40, F

@jackjjackson

Or, more likely, Trump will be paying a lot to settle cases out of court.

jackjjackson · 61-69, M

You may dream if you like. @beckyromero