rop out. I guess they make enough on a story to take a beating on attorney;s fees. Cost them $250,000 easy.
When Selvin lost an appeal on a motion to strike and the case seemed headed for trial, an offer was made and the settlement accepted. Steinberg offered warning to those who might try to take on Selvin: "He'll drive them nuts, keep them busy every day. I know I felt like this was the only case he had."
Vincent Chieffo, a partner at Gipson, Hoffman & Pancione, is an entertainment lawyer who has had experience suing the tabloids:
It's the scorpion defense, you don't attack a scorpion because you're going to get stung. It's very tough. It's very difficult to prevail.
He warns celebrities who contemplate suing tabloids, like the Enquirer, that they will fight aggressively, drag a case on for years, the cost will be hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the celebrity's personal life could be made open to public scrutiny. At the same time, the legal standard for libel is high, for "actual malice" must be proved along with a "reckless disregard for the t
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