Judge keeps defamation suit versus. NBC

A federal judge has declined to get rid of a defamation suit against NBC on the segment around the net's "Dateline NBC: To Trap a Predator." U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen refused NBC's motion to dismiss, in addition to another motion that will delay the invention phase of the trial and a part of a motion to strike. The questionable, now-defunct child molester sting show netted former Sun Microsystems engineer Anurag Tiwari inside a 2006 undercover operation in Petaluma, Calif. Tiwari was one of the males who showed up in a house in which a 13-year-old girl (really an 18-year-old actress) was allegedly alone without her parents. The 2 criminal offence counts against Tiwari were ignored, and that he is suing the network for defamation, emotional distress and invasion of privacy in line with the humiliation triggered when police allegedly arrested him with unnecessary pressure in the behest of "Predator" producers. Tiwari also alleges that police walked him from the precinct house to become captured pics of for that show. "If NBC instructed law enforcement to arrest Mr. Tiwari inside a sensational way, despite the fact that which was not essential -- e.g., using multiple cops with guns elevated -- a reasonable jury may find that NBC behaved in reckless disregard (of leading to emotional distress)," stated Chen inside a 22-page order filed now. "NBC argues that even its conduct should be thought about speech since the production and also the broadcast from the show are inextricably connected," Chen authored. "That argument lacks merit." Contact Mike Thielman at mike.thielman@variety.com