New York Times Co. v. Sullivan case brief

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan case brief summary

376 U.S. 254 (1964)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Petitioner newspaper sought review of a decision by the Supreme Court of Alabama upholding a judgment awarding respondent damages in a civil libel action.

CASE FACTS
Petitioner newspaper sought review of a decision upholding a judgment awarding respondent damages in a civil libel action.


DISCUSSION

• The Court held that the rule of law applied by the Alabama courts was constitutionally deficient for failure to provide petitioner the safeguards for freedom of speech and of the press that were guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments in a libel action brought by a public official against critics of his official conduct. 
• The Court held that petitioner's constitutional guarantees required a rule that prohibited a public official from recovering damages for a defamatory falsehood relating to the public official's official conduct unless the official proved that the statement was made with actual malice. 
• The Court defined actual malice as knowledge that the defamatory statement was false or made with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not. 
• Further, the Court held that under the proper safeguards, the evidence presented against petitioner was constitutionally insufficient to support the judgment for respondent. 
• Respondent presented no evidence to show petitioner was aware of erroneous statements or was in any way reckless in that regard.

CONCLUSION
The Court reversed the judgment and remanded the case.

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