# Sam Smith and Normani Must Face Jury Trial

> Sam Smith and Normani face jury trial over 'Dancing With a Stranger' copyright dispute after judge refuses to dismiss case.
- Title: Sam Smith and Normani Must Face Jury Trial · Billboard
- Summary: Sam Smith and Normani face jury trial over 'Dancing With a Stranger' copyright dispute after judge refuses to dismiss case. Sam Smith and Normani must face…
- Keywords: sam darnold, seahawks, seattle, nfl, dancing with a stranger, copyright lawsuit, jury trial, billboard, Sam, Smith, Normani, Must
- Source: Billboard — https://billboard.com/pro/sam-smith-normani-trial-dancing-with-a-stranger-case
- Author: Bill Donahue
- Published: 2026-09-23T18:33:57+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: sam darnold, seahawks, seattle, nfl, dancing with a stranger, copyright lawsuit, jury trial, billboard
## Judge Ruling
Judge Wesley L. Hsu refused to dismiss the copyright case claiming Sam Smith and Normani's 2019 hit stole elements from Jordan Vincent's 2015 track.
## Independent Creation Defense
Smith and Normani claim they never heard the earlier song and their track sounds similar by coincidence, a legal defense called independent creation.
## Jury Trial Decision
The court finds the question of independent creation should be left for the jury to decide, requiring a full trial to resolve the copyright dispute.
## Case Background
The case began in March 2022 when Jordan Vincent, Christopher Miranda, and Rosco Banlaoi sued Smith and Normani over alleged song copying.
## Legal Challenges
Smith and Normani argued the earlier song lacked copyright due to sampling without licenses, but the judge found the samples were too low volume to hear.
## Next Steps
The case will now proceed to a jury trial to determine if Smith and Normani's song was strikingly similar to the earlier track.
## Key takeaway

Sam Smith and Normani must face jury trial for alleged song theft from Jordan Vincent's 2015 track.