Radio Law Talk Segment
Taylor Swift
*We do not get political. We just give the facts and the law.
*Remember this is entertainment, make it interesting and applicable to the general population.
INTRO:
This case is being tried in the U.S. District Court because neither Mueller of Taylor lives in the same state. Taylor Swift is an iconic country/pop musician that has made a name for herself throughout all of America. She has a number of songs recognized by almost anyone who listens to the radio, and has dated major actors/musicians as well. David Mueller, a former disc jockey and radio host, was posing with Taylor for a pre-concert photo shoot.
FACTS (brief, 6 sentences):
The controversy started in 2015 when Mueller was fired just days after the alleged “groping” of Taylor. Mueller was fired by the station for a violation of a morality clause in his contract and then sued Taylor two years later. He claimed that Taylor slandered him and pressured the radio station to fire him. Taylor then fired back a counterclaim stating that Mueller “groped” her and that she never told anyone to fire Mueller.
ISSUES (both sides):
The issue in this case is whether Taylor can assert a successful claim of sexual assault against Mueller for the intentional groping.
LAW (with references, no need for blue book citations):
“In general, sexual assault is involuntary sexual contact that occurs through the actor’s use of force, coercion or the victim’s incapacitation.”
“Defamation” is a catch-all term for any statement that hurts someone’s reputation. Written defamation is called “libel,” and spoken defamation is called “slander.”
DETAILED FACTS (tell the story):
The U.S. District Judge declined to grant summary judgment to either party, but did throw out Mueller’s claim for slander. According to legal documents, Taylor will testify that Mueller assaulted her by lifting her skirt and grabbing her bare bottom at her June 2, 2013, fan meet-and-greet, her reaction to Mueller’s conduct, and how it affected her.” Court documents further stated, “He took his hand and put it up my dress and grabbed onto my ass cheek, and no matter how much I scooted over, it was still there.” In addition, she will testify that she has no reason or motive to fabricate the story, or directed to have anyone fire Mueller.
On the other hand, Mueller will make his case by testifying about the facts and circumstances surrounding the case, and that he never intentionally grabbed Taylors “ass.” The court documents also include that he will testify about how losing his job has impacted him and the “defamation” of his character.
OTHER FACTS (interesting facts, related facts, trivia, etc.):
Taylor never reported the incident to the police and states that she wanted it to stay quiet and confidential. However, she is only demanding $1 in damages and Mueller is demanding $3 million dollars in damages and to have his name cleared. With Taylor only demanding $1, it seems hard to believe that she is wanting the story to stay “quiet and confidential.” Taylor further states she wants this case to serve as an example to other woman who may resist publicly reliving outrageous and humiliating acts.”
ARTICLE LINKS
MEDIA (less than a 2 minutes funny sound bite. You can include a couple of options. We realize that for some topics there is not much):
Shake it off:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM
Tear drops on my guitar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKCek6_dB0M
I knew you were trouble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNoKguSdy4Y
Mean:
