Judge tosses former Rep. White’s lawsuit against KDKA, Marty Griffin
A Washington County judge has thrown out former state Rep. Jesse White’s defamation lawsuit against a Pittsburgh radio station.
Judge Judge John F. DiSalle signed a seven-page opinion and order Monday in which he said statements allegedly made by KDKA AM talk show host Marty Griffin didn’t rise to the level of being defamatory.
White named Griffin, KDKA AM, station owner CBS Pittsburgh and Donald Roessler – a resident of White’s old district who allegedly posted segments of Griffin’s show on a YouTube channel – as defendants.
White filed the lawsuit in April 2015.
DiSalle wrote that White failed to show the statements in question were made with “actual malice” and were political speech protected under the First Amendment.