A political sign was posted outside Fox News headquarters on 6th Avenue in New York on July 21, 2020.
Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images
WILMINGTON, Delaware — A $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News by Dominion Voting Systems has been postponed the night before its scheduled start date, court officials said Sunday.
According to a statement from the Delaware Superior Court, the end of the jury selection process and the start of opening statements, which were set for Monday morning, have been postponed to 9:00 a.m. ET Tuesday morning.
Spokespeople for Fox and Dominion did not immediately release statements when asked for comment after the postponement was announced Sunday night.
Dominion, which sells voting machines and election software, Fox Corporation After Fox aired false allegations that it rigged the 2020 election against former President Donald Trump, and its cable television network.
Fox argues that Dominion does not meet the legal standard for defamation, and that statements about Dominion on air are protected by the First Amendment.
wall street journal report Earlier Sunday, Fox made a last-minute push to settle the lawsuit out of court.
Most defamation cases are settled out of court. But until just this past Saturday, the chances of Dominion and Fox avoiding trial seemed ever more unlikely. “The next few weeks will prove that Fox is spreading lies and causing Dominion so much damage. We look forward to the trial,” a Dominion spokesperson told CNBC Saturday morning.
Judge Eric Davis, who presides over the case, said in a statement from the court that the court will formally announce the delay at 9 a.m. ET on Monday.
