(Reuters] – On Monday, a judge ruled the New York Times didn’t defame Sarah Palin after it published an editorial in 2017 incorrectly linking Palin and the Republican U.S. presidential candidate to a mass killing six years before.

January 8, 2011: Gunman Jared Lee Loughner shoots at an event in Tucson, Arizona, organized by Gabrielle Giffords, Democratic U.S. Representative. Six people are killed, and Giffords is seriously wounded.

June 14, 2017 – Gunman James Hodgkinson opens fire on Republican lawmakers who were practicing in Alexandria for a charity ball game. Steve Scalise (a Republican leader in the House of Representatives) is among the four people who are injured.

The New York Times published an editorial that night entitled “America’s Lethal Politics.” It cited the Virginia shooting to be probable evidence of the “vicious” nature American politics.

James Bennet was the editor for Editorial Page. Some of it included that there is a “link to incitement political” between 2011’s shooting and a previously published map by Palin’s Political Action Committee. This piece claims that 20 Democrats including Giffords were placed under “stylized crossed hairs”.

June 15, 2017, The Times corrected the editorial. It stated it incorrectly claimed that there was a connection between the Giffords shooting and political rhetoric. Also, it corrected the description of its map by stating that it represented electoral districts rather than Giffords, and other Democratic lawmakers.

June 27, 2017, Palin sued the New York Times in Manhattan Federal Court for defamation. She claimed that the paper acted with “actual malice” by suggesting Loughner had been incited to shoot the 2011.

August 29, 2017, U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff dismissed the suit. Rakoff stated that while there were errors in the editorial, they weren’t plausible. This is what a public figure such as Palin would need to prove to be able win a defamation suit.

August 6, 2019, Federal appeals court: Rakoff’s decision to base his judgment in part upon testimony from Bennet is erroneous.

December 30, 2019, Palin refiles lawsuit and adds a claim against Bennet.

June 7, 2020: Bennet quits the Times after controversy surrounding the publication of an opinion piece written by Republican U.S. Tom Cotton, Senator of Texas, supports the use of military force to end violence in protests against U.S. Racial Inequality.

August 28, 2020: Rakoff denied Palin’s motion for dismissal, and allowed the case to proceed to trial.

January 24, 2022 – The trial is delayed due to positive COVID-19 tests by Palin.

February 3, 2022 — The trial commences.

Feb. 10, 2022. Palin testifies to feeling “powerless”, “mortified” about being connected with the killing of innocent persons after her editorial was published. After the publication of her editorial, she claims it caused stress. “Things changed” in that she was able to call upon for advice and assistance and be publicly seen on a prominent political stage. Bennet testified that he did not intend to suggest a causal connection between Palin and the map or the shooting in 2011. Bennet states that he would use the term ’cause’ if he believed it was responsible for the violence.

February 11, 2022. Jurors are given closing arguments by the lawyers of both sides. Kenneth Turkel from Palin tells jurors Bennet and The Times “blindly” ignored the facts, as Palin was tarnished by the paper. David Axelrod of the Times says the editorial amounts to an honest mistake and is not meant to be used as a political catch-all. The jury starts deliberating.

February 14, 2022. The judge has ruled that the case will be dismissed because Palin didn’t prove that the Times was acting with “actual malice,” a standard required to win. Jurors were continuing to deliberate. Rakoff states that he will issue a formal dismissal order after the jury has reached a decision. According to the judge, Palin is expected to appeal and the appeals court would greatly benefit from learning how it will be decided by the jury.