Rolling Stone defamation case over rape story back in court

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Attorneys for Rolling Stone magazine are heading back to federal court to try to overturn a jury’s defamation verdict over its botched story “A Rape on Campus.”

A judge is holding a hearing in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Thursday to consider Rolling Stone’s request to throw out the jury’s November verdict. The jury awarded University of Virginia administrator Nicole Eramo $3 million after finding Rolling Stone and a reporter defamed her.

The 2014 story told the account of a woman identified only as “Jackie,” who said she was gang raped at the school. A police investigation found no evidence to back up Jackie’s claims.

The magazine argues, among other things, there’s no evidence reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely acted with actual malice. Eramo’s attorneys are urging the judge to keep the verdict.