North America

Supreme Court Declines Roy Moore’s Appeal Over $8.2 Million Defamation Verdict

Published Oct 5, 2026, 2:53 PM · 1 minute ago

Courtroom-sketch editorial illustration of an archival exterior view of the United States Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., showing its marble columns, broad stairs and patterned forecourt; contextual institution illustration based on a photograph from between 1980 and 2006, not a depiction of the October 2026 decision, rendered in warm ochre and slate-blue pastel strokes.

The U.S. Supreme Court on October 5 declined to hear Roy Moore’s appeal seeking to restore an $8.2 million defamation verdict against Senate Majority PAC. The award arose from an advertisement aired during Alabama’s 2017 special Senate election, in which Moore was the Republican candidate. A jury awarded him the damages in 2022. In April, the Eleventh Circuit reversed the verdict, finding insufficient clear and convincing evidence of the intent required to establish actual malice, and directed judgment for the PAC. The denial of review leaves that appellate ruling in place.

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