CNN and Grace say the wrongful death lawsuit brought by Melinda Duckett's family would "severely chill" journalists' coverage of missing-persons cases, according to federal court documents filed Friday.
"The law does not permit people to recover money from reporters who ask routine questions while covering ongoing stories of national significance to the public," lawyer Judith Mercier wrote.
Kara Skorupa, a lawyer for Duckett's estate, said a response would be filed by next week.
Duckett, 21, was on Grace's show a year ago after her son Trenton went missing from her apartment.
Grace grilled the woman, accusing her of hiding something because Duckett did not take a lie-detector test and
answered vaguely regarding her whereabouts.
Police later named Duckett the prime suspect in the boy's disappearance.
Duckett shot and killed herself the day the taped interview was scheduled to broadcast. The lawsuit blames Grace for severe emotional distress that led to the suicide.
Trenton, who would turn 3 on Friday, has not been found.
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