Source: Daily_Mail
David Beckham stunned as US judge dismisses libel claims
David Beckham has vowed to fight on after a US judge dismissed his libel and slander lawsuit against a celebrity magazine.[LNB]In Touch claimed that Beckham cheated on his wife with a prostitute, an allegation he strenuously denies.[LNB]US District Judge Manuel Real threw out the lawsuit at a hearing in Los Angeles, saying the Los Angeles Galaxy player was a public figure and his lawyers had not shown the tabloid published the story with malice.[LNB] Down but not out: The Beckhams have vowed to fight on[LNB]Beckham's lawyer, Richard Kendall, argued that the magazine failed to do basic checking which would have shown that Beckham was not where it claimed he was.[LNB]Elizabeth McNamara, a lawyer for In Touch owner Bauer Publishing, said the judge made the proper ruling.[LNB]She said the magazine did everything possible to corroborate details from the prostitute's on-the-record interview.[LNB]Beck in town: David watches the Manchester derby with his son[LNB]Beckham sued the magazine in September and was seeking 25 million dollars (?15 million). He argued in a court document in January that he was visiting his father in London, who was ill, during one of the alleged meetings with the purported call girl, Irma Nici.[LNB]Mr Kendall said a basic investigation by the magazine would have shown that Beckham was elsewhere when the alleged meetings occurred.[LNB]He asked the judge to allow the case to proceed so he could conduct depositions that would bolster Beckham's case, but the judge refused.[LNB]'We were left with two hands tied behind our back for the purposes of this motion,' Mr Kendall said after the hearing.[LNB]He said In Touch had taken specific steps to block its story from being seen in England, where Mr Kendall said libel laws would have resulted in a quicker resolution to the case in the star's favour.[LNB]'Obviously, we're pleased,' Ms McNamara said after the hearing. 'We think the court followed the law and did the correct thing.'[LNB]A spokesman for Beckham said later: 'Bauer do not dispute for purposes of this motion that their story is false. [LNB]'They have not provided one shred of evidence to support the claim this story is true. David Beckham's clear evidence proved that this is without foundation.[LNB]'We have already won a court ruling in Germany and are awaiting damages. Unfortunately, the US legal system requires us to show that the magazine acted maliciously. Any knowledgeable person knows this story not to be true, we will continue to fight this in court and the decision will be appealed.' Manchester United start contract talks with leading scorer BerbatovRedknapp can talk to England: Spurs won't stand in his way as FA look for Capello successorDisappointed David and Victoria Beckham put libel case behind them as they step out for a romantic Valentine's date in NYCAll the latest Manchester United news, features and opinion[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: David Beckham Places: London, Los Angeles, United Kingdom, Germany
