Federal Court Hearing Set For State AGs’ Emergency Motion To Halt Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger

A federal court has set a hearing for Friday to consider an emergency motion filed by a dozen state attorneys general to at least temporarily halt Paramount‘s proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

The states are seeking a temporary restraining order to pause the transaction as their antitrust lawsuit proceeds.

U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts was assigned the case earlier on Tuesday. Pitts was appointed to the federal bench by President Joe Biden.

The hearing will be at 10 a.m. PT. The court also set a deadline of noon on Thursday for Paramount’s opposition to the TRO.

The states want the judge to rule by July 22, warning that the company would otherwise close the transaction after that date. The date is around the time that the European Union is expected to issue its decision on the transaction, with the U.S. Justice Department having already cleared the deal.