Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts
Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts, 388 U.S. 130 (1967), was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court establishing the standard of First Amendment protection against defamation claims brought by private individuals.[1]
| Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued February 23, 1967 Decided June 12, 1967 | |
| Full case name | Curtis Publishing Company v. Wally Butts |
| Citations | 388 U.S. 130 (more) 94 S. Ct. 2997; 41 L. Ed. 2d 789; 1974 U.S. LEXIS 88; 1 Media L. Rep. 1633 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Cert. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit |
| Subsequent | No. 37, 351 F.2d 702, affirmed; No. 150, 393 S.W.2d 671, reversed and remanded |
| Holding | |
| Libel damages may be recoverable against a news organization if the injured party is not a public official, but a claimant must demonstrate a reckless lack of professional standards, on the part of the organization, in examining allegations for reasonable credibility. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Plurality | Harlan, joined by Clark, Stewart, Fortas |
| Concurrence | Warren |
| Concur/dissent | Black, joined by Douglas |
| Concur/dissent | Brennan, joined by White |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. I | |
Background
The case involved a libel lawsuit filed by former Georgia Bulldogs football coach Wally Butts against The Saturday Evening Post. The lawsuit arose from an article in the magazine that alleged that Butts and Alabama head coach Bear Bryant had conspired to fix games. The Butts suit was consolidated with another case, Associated Press v. Walker, and the two cases were decided in one opinion.
In finding for Butts but against Walker, the Supreme Court gave some indications of when a "public figure" could sue for libel.
Decision
In a plurality opinion, written by Justice John Marshall Harlan II, the Court held that news organizations were protected from liability when printing allegations about public officials. However, the Supreme Court's New York Times Co. v. Sullivan decision (1964) lets them still be liable to public figures if the information that they disseminate is recklessly gathered and unchecked.[2]
The Court ultimately ruled in favor of Butts, and The Saturday Evening Post was ordered to pay $3.06 million to Butts in damages, which was later reduced on appeal to $460,000.[3]
The settlement was seen as a contributing factor in the demise of The Saturday Evening Post and its parent corporation, the Curtis Publishing Company, two years later.[3] Both Butts and Bryant had sued for $10 million each. Bryant settled for $300,000.
References
- 388 U.S. 130 (1967)
- "Wally Butts, Ex-Georgia Coach, Dies; Won Large Libel Suit Coached Noted Players". The New York Times. December 18, 1973. p. 46.
External links
- Text of Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts, 388 U.S. 130 (1967) is available from: Cornell CourtListener Findlaw Google Scholar Justia Library of Congress OpenJurist Oyez (oral argument audio)