Arizona Supreme Court To Hear State Sen. Wendy Rogers' Defamation Case

The Arizona Supreme Court will hear a defamation case stemming from a state senator’s attack advertisements during a failed congressional run in 2018.

The Arizona Capitol Times reported that Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers attacked her opponent — former state Sen. Steve Smith — in multiple advertisements. Pamela Young, owner of the Young Agency and a former employer of Smith, sued Rogers for defamation, claiming the ads implied she had committed or supported sex crimes. The Court of Appeals overturned the lower court in a split decision in December, entering summary judgement for Rogers. Now the state’s high court will decide.