Defamation lawsuit vs. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dismissed

A federal judge in Texas has dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones filed by a woman seeking recognition as his biological daughter.

Judge Robert W. Schroeder III tossed the suit filed in March by 26-year-old congressional aide Alexandra Davis, who claimed Jones and two others "initiated a deliberate plan" to portray her as "an 'extortionist" over a separate lawsuit she filed a year earlier against Jones that alleged he tried to conceal their relationship.

However, Schroeder determined that some of the statements Davis cited in two ESPN stories about the case were either true or were "not defamatory."

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The judge also ruled that Davis qualified as a "limited public figure" and was unable to prove Jones or his associates had any malicious intent. However, he did allow Davis and her attorneys the option to amend their complaint to show actual malice, as required under defamation law.

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