A federal judge has temporarily halted former U.S. President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. The ruling, issued by Judge Steven D. Merryday of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, found that the 85-page complaint failed to meet the federal requirements for civil lawsuits.
Judge Merryday stated the lawsuit demonstrably violated Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which mandates a concise, clear and direct presentation of factual allegations. He deemed Trump’s accusations against The New York Times as “plainly excessive and inadmissible.
The former President’s legal team has been given four weeks to refile the lawsuit, but with a page limit of 40 pages. A spokesperson for Trump indicated that a revised filing is planned.
The original lawsuit, filed earlier this week, sought $15 billion in damages and accused the newspaper of acting as a “virtual mouthpiece” for the Democratic Party. The judge’s decision does not dismiss the case entirely, but requires significant revisions before it can proceed further.
