Judge Tosses Mueller's Case Against Taylor Swift

Depiction of Swift, Her Mother & Attorney

• David 'Jackson' Mueller claimed that Swift made libelous statements about him
• The radio station employee said he was fired after she claimed he 'groped' her
• Her lawyer asked for former Denver KYGO DJ's case to be dismissed
• A few hours later the judge granted the request  
• Swift is still countersuing him for just $1, accusing him of reaching under her dress and grabbing her buttocks during a photo 
• Earlier on Friday, Swift's former bodyguard Greg Dent said he saw the skirt lift 
• Mueller's identical allegations against Swift's mother and her radio liaison will go to the jury 

Taylor Swift on Friday won an important ruling in the trial stemming from her allegation that she was groped by a Colorado disc jockey, with the judge dismissing the DJ's rival claim accusing the singer of wrongfully getting him fired.

According to Reuters, the ruling by U.S. District Judge William Martinez left intact Swift's assault and battery countersuit against David Mueller, who asserts he was falsely accused by the recording star and ousted from his $150,000-a-year job at Country KYGO 98.5 FM under pressure from her.

Mueller's claims against Swift's mother and her radio representative continue. The singer's countersuit accusing Mueller of groping her during a photo op also remains.

The ruling came one week into the civil trial in Denver. Swift had requested both dismissal and summary judgment. Closing arguments are set for Monday.

The Grammy-winning artist known for such hits as "Fearless" and "I Knew Your Were Trouble" reacted to the decision with tears of joy, embracing members of her legal team and family members with bear hugs in the courtroom.

Mueller sat alone at the plaintiff's table, appearing somber as he sipped a glass of water.

U.S. District Judge William Martinez ruled Friday that Swift could not be held liable because Mueller hadn’t shown that she deliberately set out to have him fired after the incident.

It’s the latest in a long string of legal setbacks for Mueller; another judge threw out Mueller’s claim of slander in June of 2017, and that July he was sanctioned by the court for destroying a  two-hour audio recording he secretly taped during an interview with his radio station boss just before he was fired.

Friday's decision capped the fifth day of a trial highlighted by vivid testimony from Swift charging that Mueller clutched her bare buttocks during a pre-concert fan reception in 2013 against Mueller's assertion under oath that he did no such thing.

Earlier on Friday, Swift's former bodyguard corroborated her account of being groped by Mueller, testifying that he saw the radio personality slip his hand under the singer's skirt as they posed together for a photo with Mueller's then-girlfriend.

Lawyers for both sides rested their respective cases after the ex-girlfriend, Shannon Melcher, took the stand as the final witness to deny seeing Mueller inappropriately touch Swift during the picture-taking session. But she added, "I don't have eyes in the back of my head."

Swift has said her representatives lodged a complaint with KYGO management about the alleged groping but insisted she never demanded Mueller be fired.

Although Martinez agreed to dismiss both claims as they related to Swift, he kept the contract claim intact for Swift's two co-defendants - her mother, Andrea, and her radio station liaison Frank Bell.