Reprinted with Permission from Ballard Spahr In an opinion and order issued yesterday, a Nevada state court dismissed with prejudice a defamation claim brought by businessman Steve Wynn against the […]
Parents of Paul Tatum, a teenager who committed suicide, sued now retired columnist Steve Blow at The Dallas Morning News for libel in regards to a piece he wrote in 2010 about their son's death. The court however decided the column was protected by the First Amendment as it was an opinion piece and therefore protected speech. "The publication of Blow's column may have run afoul of certain journalistic, ethical, and other standards. But the standards governing the law of defamation are not among them," wrote Justice Jeff Brown, a former Texas Supreme Court chief justice who handled the case in the Supreme Court.
Former US Senate candidate Roy Moore Files Defamation Suit Against Female Accusers
In an escalation of defamation lawsuits brought by and against Roy Moore for alleged sexual misconduct, the latest volley is from the former US Senate candidate. In the Circuit Court […]
President Trump’s Plans for Libel Laws
President Trump and his team want to ‘open up’ libel laws. The goal: to make it easier to sue media organizations for unfavorable coverage. But there is little that the President can actually do to change the libel laws. There is no federal law on libel. State laws control libel, and all such laws are subject to stringent First Amendment protections for the press and other speakers that the Supreme Court has imposed through cases such as the landmark New York Times v. Sullivan decision in 1964. However, threats to loosen the libel laws is noteworthy as part of a larger effort to criticize the press and attack its credibility.
Defamation Suit By Coal Baron Against John Oliver Dismissed
Coal magnate Robert Murray has a long history of suing the media – at least nine organizations at last count. He targeted HBO’s John Oliver and The New York Times claiming that both misrepresented safety at his coal mines and attacked him personally. He even asked for an emergency “gag order” against rebroadcast of Oliver’s segment arguing it was hurting business and threatening employees. A federal judge ruled that Murray’s case against Oliver should proceed in state court. But after the case was remanded,HBO and Partially Important Productions submitted motions to dismiss which were granted. Murray intends to appeal.
Gene Policinski Commentary: ‘Weakening’ Libel Laws Is Not The Right Tactic – For Anyone
The Newseum Institute’s First Amendment expert, Gene Policinski, originally published this commentary on the Newseum blog, and has given First Amendment Watch permission to reprint. Making it easier to sue […]
Father of Candor Anticipated New York Times v. Sullivan Over 250 Years Ago
A writer calling himself Father of Candor was far ahead of his time when he attacked seditious libel in 1764. He argued that truth should be an absolute defense against libel, and that only intentional lies should be subject to libel laws.
Yelp Case Demonstrates How To Out Anonymous Speakers
The online consumer review site, Yelp, tried to protect the anonymity of a reviewer who wrote a dismissive piece about accountancy, Montagna & Associates, Inc., for overcharging and harassment. Montagna sued […]