Federal Judge Denies Fox News' motion to Dismiss in Historic Defamation and Corruption Case Brought by Schaumburg Property Owners
On Monday April 4, 2011, Schaumburg business owners through their lawyers, R. Tamara de Silva and Jonathan Lubin successfully defeated Fox News Corp's renowned media lawyers and their motion to dismiss. The defamation lawsuit against Fox News may be one of the first times, Fox News is being forced to defend itself in a defamation case in Federal Court.
The lawsuit also charges the Cook County Board of Review, including Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios, and Commissioner Larry R. Rogers, Jr. with willfully and intentionally denying Plaintiffs, Satkar Hospitality, Inc., Sharad Dani and Harish Dani, a range of rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and according to Plaintiff's Amended Complaint, the use of the Cook County Board of Review, "as a means of unabashed self-dealing, capriciousness and corruption that is contrary to the law and above the law."
"This entire lawsuit is about accountability: Whether on the part of a media titan that seems to believe it can defame a private citizen with impunity by tabloid make-believe 'journalism' for ratings, or a Cook County government agency that believes it can abuse the process of government, their office and the trust of the people of Chicago because they simply are above the law." said lead counsel R. Tamara de Silva. "In the search for the next headline and ultimately next greenback the local Fox affiliate tarred and feathered the owners of a small business, who had done nothing wrong. We are happy that the Court is going to us an opportunity to hold them accountable." Attorney Jonathan Lubin.