Judge Claims Fox News Defamed Him
A Cook County Judge demands $7 million from Fox Television, claiming it defamed him by reporting that he was at home on a weekday afternoon. Judge James Ryan claims Fox TV broadcast film of a car in the driveway of a house, claiming they were his – but it wasn’t his car and it wasn’t his house. Ryan claims Fox admitted that the next day, saying, “Our bad.”
In his complaint in Cook County Court, Judge Ryan says that Fox claimed to be doing a “joint investigation” with the Better Government Association.
“(D)uring the May 24, 2010 news broadcast Fox News alleged Judge James Ryan was at his residence by early afternoon and showed his alleged vehicle in the driveway of his alleged home,” the complaint states. “In fact, the vehicle shown was not judge Ryan’s vehicle nor was the residence shown Judge Ryan’s. Further, Judge Ryan was not at home as claimed by the reporters, Dane Placko, Larry Yellen and Andy Shaw.”
Ryan claims that immediately after Fox broadcast its accusatory report, he called the Fox news desk “and talked to Dane Placko and advised him of the misrepresentation and false statements.”
The next day, reporter Robin Robinson admitted the mistake on Fox News, stating, “Our bad,” Judge Ryan says.
Ryan adds that Fox made false claims on the Internet about him as well.
Ryan claims that Fox and BGA “implicitly stated that [he] was lazy and his actions amounted to malfeasance.”
Ryan demands $7 million for defamation.
Along with Fox and the BGA, Ryan sued Fox reporters Larry Yellen and Dane Placko, Fox producer Marsha Bartel, Fox news director Carol Fowler, and BGA investigator Andy Shaw.
He is represented by John Fotopoulos.
View the article on Courthouse News here.
