Women in Bill O'Reilly defamation suit want settlement agreements made public
Source: CNN
Three women who are suing Bill O'Reilly for defamation and breach of contract have asked a federal judge to allow their settlement agreements with the former Fox News star to be entered into the public record.
In a motion filed Tuesday with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, attorneys Nancy Erika Smith and Neil Mullin argued that O'Reilly's plea for the settlements to be kept under seal "should be denied outright because he has made no effort to bear his burden of proof and cited no law to support his extraordinary request."
Women in Bill O'Reilly defamation suit want settlement agreements made public
By Tom Kludt March 20, 2018: 2:25 PM ET
Three women who are suing Bill O'Reilly for defamation and breach of contract have asked a federal judge to allow their settlement agreements with the former Fox News star to be entered into the public record.
In a motion filed Tuesday with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, attorneys Nancy Erika Smith and Neil Mullin argued that O'Reilly's plea for the settlements to be kept under seal "should be denied outright because he has made no effort to bear his burden of proof and cited no law to support his extraordinary request."
"Courts generally do not allow the filing of documents under seal absent extraordinary circumstances," Smith and Mullin wrote. "Settlement agreements in which the parties agree to confidentiality do not merit filing under seal unless a compelling need is shown. Important constitutional and common law principles require public access to judicial documents."
In December, Smith and Mullin brought the lawsuit on behalf of Rachel Witlieb Bernstein, who alleged that O'Reilly and Fox News broke a non-disparagement clause that arose from a 2002 settlement agreement.
Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/20/media/bill-oreilly-defamation-lawsuit/index.html