The parents of the late JonBenet Ramsey have filed a $70 million lawsuit
against Courtroom Television Network, claiming that the cable network falsely
named their son as a prime suspect in his sister's murder in one of its
shows.
The Associated Press reported that the lawsuit was filed in federal court in
Atlanta June 15. It asserted that 12-year-old Burke Ramsey was defamed by a
Court TV program and an attendant Web site that named him and his parents as the
focus of a police investigation into the slaying of the six-year-old beauty
queen.
Court TV attorney Doug Jacobs said the network had not yet been served with
the court documents. 'We're aware of the litigation through the press reports,'
he said. 'Although we comment on pending litigation on our air, we won't be
commenting on litigation pending against Court TV.'
At issue, according to AP, is Court TV program Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey,
Prime Suspects. The program premiered Nov. 5, 1999. Jacobs said the last
time the program aired was 'about a year ago.'
Prior to the show's airing, Burke Ramsey was not a suspect in the murder,
AP's story on the lawsuit said. The litigation contended that the show was
reaired even after the Boulder District Attorney said in a sworn affidavit that
the 12-year-old boy was not considered a suspect.
The lawsuit filed by Ramsey attorney Lin Wood, according to AP, also names
AOL Time Warner Inc., Time Warner Entertainment and Liberty Media Group. Court
TV, which is now in more than 60 million homes, is a service of AOL Time Warner
and Liberty Media.
The Ramseys now live in Atlanta.
JonBenet Ramsey's beaten and strangled body was found in the basement of her
family's home Dec. 26, 1996. The case remains unsolved.
