Oprah, court get prepared for her defamation trial

By MICHAEL HINKELMAN
Philadelphia Daily News

Oprah Winfrey is no ordinary defendant, so attorneys for the TV star and the former headmistress of a South African boarding school who is suing her for defamation met with a federal judge and U.S. marshals yesterday to hash over court security before the case goes to trial here on March 29.

Lerato Nomvuyo Mzamane, formerly headmistress of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls and a former Germantown Friends School administrator, has alleged that Winfrey defamed her in remarks made to parents and at a news conference after a sex-abuse scandal erupted at the school near Johannesburg in October 2007.

A dorm matron who worked under Mzamane was later charged with abusing six students, ages 13 to 15. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Winfrey's attorneys said the remarks merely reflected her opinions and were protected by the First Amendment.

With the trial date looming, both Winfrey and court officials are making adjustments to their normal routines.

The billionaire media mogul is taping her Chicago-based daily TV talk show on weekends in Chicago for airing during the trial, said her Houston-based attorney, Chip Babcock.

Winfrey's attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno to set aside 10 trial days for both parties to present their cases.

Yesterday, Robreno scheduled two weeks of courtroom time to complete the trial and told attorneys for both sides to include only exhibits that would be shown to jurors.

Robreno said court would be in session daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and on Saturdays, if necessary.

Winfrey was not in court yesterday, but, as a named defendant in the case, she must attend the trial each day.

Babcock said that if the trial spilled over into a third week, Winfrey would have to determine when and where her TV show will take place.

Winfrey's presence in federal court here is expected to attract a throng of celebrity-gawkers and news media. She is expected to take the witness stand at the trial.

Robreno said an adjoining courtroom will be made available to permit extra seating for the public. The adjoining courtroom will receive a live video stream of the trial taking place in the main courtroom.

Seats in the trial courtroom will be divvied up among the parties, the media and the public.