A trial date has been set between the BBC and Donald Trump in a $10billion lawsuit.
The President is bringing the lawsuit forward related to editing of a speech that made it appear he directed supporters to storm the US Capitol.
District Judge Roy Altman denied the British broadcaster’s application to stay the merits-based discovery phase, when both sides can obtain evidence from other parties in the lawsuit, the documents showed.
He also ordered that a two-week trial be set for February 2027.
A BBC spokesman told GB News: “As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case. We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
President Trump has accused the broadcaster of defaming him by splicing together parts of a January 6, 2021, speech.
This includes one section where he told supporters to march on the Capitol and another where he said “fight like hell”.
However, the broadcaster omitted a lengthy section in which Mr Trump insisted for the protests to remain peaceful.
A trial date has been set for the BBC
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BBCIn the episode, a clip from Mr Trump’s speech on January 6 2021 was spliced to show him saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
The BBC previously filed a motion to dismiss, claiming the Florida court lacks “personal jurisdiction” over the corporation, the court venue is “improper” and that Mr Trump has “failed to state a claim”, according to court documents.
The corporation argued that it did not create, produce or broadcast the documentary in Florida.
It added President Trump’s claim that the documentary was available in the US on streaming service BritBox is not true.
A screenshot from the footage of President Trump’s speech
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BBC
Court documents list the plaintiff as President Donald J Trump, with the British Broadcasting Corporation et al as defendants.
The order, made on February 11, read: “This matter is set for trial during the Court’s two-week trial calendar beginning February 15, 2027.
“Counsel for all parties shall also appear at a calendar call at 1.45pm on February 9, 2027.
“Unless instructed otherwise by subsequent order, the trial and all other proceedings in this case shall be conducted in Courtroom 12-4 at the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. US Courthouse, 400 N. Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33128.”