Judge Blocks Palin Lawyers From Questioning NYT Reporters

Sara Palin

A Manhattan federal judge has suspended discovery in a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times filed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who is accusing the paper of writing an erroneous editorial that connected her to the shooting of former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) that left six people dead.

In suspending discovery, Judge Jed Rakoff prevents Palin’s lawyers for now from questioning 23 New York Times reporters in an effort to prove the paper is biased against her.

Rakoff said he'll rule by the end of the month whether Palin's suit against the Times can proceed, according to The Hill.

The Times says it made an “honest mistake” with the Palin editorial and is asking the court to throw out the lawsuit.

The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee filed the suit against the Times in June, alleging defamation.

The case concerns an opinion piece written by the paper's editorial board that directly linked the 2011 shooting of Giffords to a political ad publicized by Palin. The ad put Democratic districts up for reelection in a logo symbolizing crosshairs.