Sarah Palin's case against NY Times is off to a rocky start after her positive COVID-19 test disrupts trial

The highly anticipated defamation case between former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and The New York Times was temporarily thrown into turmoil on Monday after the former VP candidate tested positive for coronavirus.

"She is of course unvaccinated," U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff announced in court.

"The positive result from a rapid COVID test means the trial could be delayed to Feb. 3," the New York Daily Newsreported. "Rakoff said Palin could observe jury selection over a video feed and testify in person once she’s recovered. Jury selection could also proceed without her there at all if she agreed, the judge said. But Palin’s lawyer asked for delay, saying his client wanted to be there in-person for the trial."

Palin is set to be retested with a more accurate test as the court considers how to respond.

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Palin has "accused the Times and its former editorial page editor James Bennet of damaging her reputation in a June 14, 2017, editorial linking her to a 2011 mass shooting in Arizona that killed six people and wounded U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords," the Daily News reported.

Palin also tested positive for coronavirus in March.

In December, Palin told the crowd at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona that she had not been vaccinated.

“It’ll be over my dead body that I’ll have to get a shot,” Palin vowed. “I will not do that."