Baffert Defamation Lawsuit Resolved With One Defendant

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's lawsuit against two men who allegedly defamed him on social media has ended as to one of them with a settlement while the other awaits a final hearing. The resolution occurred after an attorney for one of the defendants, Daniel DiCorcia, made a peace offering to Baffert's legal team. Southern California federal district judge Judge Robert S. Huie approved the agreement May 13. READ: Baffert Suit Alleges Extortion, Defamation Threats Among other provisions in Huie's order, DiCorcia is permanently enjoined from "publishing or republishing a false statement that accuses (Baffert) of using prohibited substances to illegally enhance the performance of racehorses trained by Baffert." While the order does not make an explicit finding of defamation, DiCorcia also agreed to "remove any past social media post that falsely accuses Baffert" in similar fashion. The agreement provides no assessment of damages. Each side will bear its own attorney fees and costs. According to the court's order, DiCorcia is not prohibited from republishing statements about Baffert made by "newspapers or media of widespread circulation and repute." An attorney for DiCorcia's co-defendant Justin Wunderler withdrew from the case several months ago. After Wunderler did not respond to an amended complaint against him, Baffert asked for a default judgment, and a further hearing on the matter is expected. Baffert's lawsuit, filed in 2023, also took issue with social media posts alleging the existence of damning video about the trainer. No such video has surfaced.