Rupert Murdoch defamation case adjourned for 11 hours

Rupert Murdoch was scheduled to testify in Dominion Voting Systems' libel case against Fox News. Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File

Rupert Murdoch began 11-hour settlement talks in a last-ditch effort to avoid a $1.6 billion libel suit.

Expected to be The billionaire media mogul will be one of the first witnesses called to testify in a high-profile legal battle with Dominion Voting Systems that centers around false allegations of vote-rigging in the 2020 US presidential election aired on Fox News.

< p>The trial was supposed to start on Monday, but Delaware Supreme Court Justice Eric Davis announced a one-day adjournment last night, with final jury selection and opening arguments pushed back to Tuesday.

The pause aims to give more time for both parties to reach a potential settlement, according to Bloomberg.

Dominion is seeking $1.6 billion in damages from Fox over Mr. Murdoch's news channel allegations of knowingly false claims that his ballot counting machines were used to rig the 2020 election results.

The false claim was falsely made by Donald Trump and his allies following a vote in a «stop theft» plot.

Fox argues that allegations of Mr. Trump and his lawyers' vote-rigging are inherently newsworthy and are protected by legal doctrines regarding freedom of the press.

Fox News is accused of spreading false allegations of voter fraud. Credit: Fox Business

The two sides are said to have held previous settlement talks. They met with the mediator in December but were unable to reach an agreement.

However, discussions are believed to have become more serious over the weekend.

The deal would allow 92-year-olds to not take the position under the scrutiny of the world media.

The lawsuit has already exposed Fox's internal messages from individuals including Mr. Murdoch, demonstrating widespread skepticism about allegations of voter fraud. as well as Fox News boss Suzanne Scott and host Tucker Carlson.

The trial is expected to last six weeks.

The Dominion, meanwhile, is facing major legal hurdles to win the case, given the First Amendment's protection of freedom of the press in the US.< /p

The fact that Mr. Murdoch has not yet been able to reach an agreement is puzzling to analysts, given the risk of potentially embarrassing revelations in court.

The mogul previously settled phone hacking lawsuits related to News of the World.

In a blow to the Fox case, Judge Davis ruled last week that the network cannot simply argue that allegations of voter fraud are «newsworthy,» limiting a key line of defense.

In another setback, the judge also threatened the channel with sanctions over accusations by its lawyers of withholding important details about Murdoch's role at Fox News.