Ten Questions to a Media Lawyer: Gregg Thomas
Gregg Thomas is a partner at Thomas & LoCicero in Tampa, FL. 1. How’d you get into media law? What was your first job? I got into media law because I was totally enamored with the constitutional law class I had at the University of Florida College of Law – the history of the First…
MLRC 2017 Annual Meeting
New Director Elected; A Review of MLRC Projects and Events The Annual Meeting of the Media Law Resource Center, Inc. was held on November 8, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt in New York. Chair of the Board of Directors, Lynn Oberlander, called the meeting to order. The first item of business was the election of…
Media Coalition Gains Access to Sentencing Letters
Florida Court Releases Letters in Former Congresswoman Corrine Brown Corruption Case By Jennifer Mansfield In response to requests from multiple media entities, on December 18, 2017, United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan, Middle District of Florida, released to the press letters sent to him, either directly or through the United States Probation Office, as…
Public Officials’ Personal Texts and Emails May Be Subject to Arizona Public Records Law
Courts Must Determine if Information Qualifies as Public Record By Dan Barr In a ruling that rejects the reasoning of an Arizona Attorney General’s Opinion issued five months earlier, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled on December 7 that public officials cannot evade the Arizona Public Records Law by using their own cellphones for texts,…
Sixth Circuit Rules That Anonymous Speaker May Preserve Anonymity Even After Plaintiff Wins Judgment
By Joshua Koltun In an important case of first impression, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that entry of judgment against an anonymous speaker defendant will not necessarily require the public disclosure of the speaker’s identity. There is a presumption in favor of such disclosure, but the strength of that…
Iowa Supreme Court Lifts Prior Restraint Against Des Moines Register
By Tom Curley The Iowa Supreme Court recently lifted a prior restraint against the Des Moines Register which prohibited the newspaper from publishing the contents of once-public court records. McCleary v. Kauffman and Des Moines Register, No. 17-1982 (Dec. 19, 2017). Entered by a single justice, the temporary injunction came without an opportunity for the…
Michigan Court of Appeals Reverses Probate Court’s Admitted “Prior Restraint” Against Local News Reporter
By Andrew M. Pauwels In an order entered on December 7, 2017, the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed as unconstitutional a prior restraint issued by a probate court judge in Oakland County, Michigan, against WXYZ-TV, a local television station, and one of its reporters, Heather Catallo. In re Guardianship of Janet Kapp, No. 340838. The…
From the MLRC Insurance Committee: The “Pink Slime” Insurance Coverage Dispute Shines a Spotlight on Media Liability Insurance
By Evynne Grover The notorious “Pink Slime” defamation lawsuit and the staggering sum of its unprecedented settlement have given rise to a dispute that highlights the important role that media liability insurance plays in today’s media business environment. Even a company as well-capitalized as Disney recognized the necessity of maintaining substantial media liability coverage. Disney,…
Tennessee Court Reverses Order Compelling Reporter Sued for Defamation to Reveal Sources and Documents
Plaintiff Not Entitled to Sources and Documents to Challenge Fair Report Defense On interlocutory appeal, the Tennessee Court of Appeals reversed a motion to compel a reporter to disclose his sources and investigative files to a public figure plaintiff suing the reporter for defamation and false light. Funk v. Scripps Media, No. 16C-333 (Nov. 30….
Georgia Court Dismisses Libel Claims Against Reporter Who Questioned Plaintiff’s Military Service Record
By Cynthia Counts, Brian Biglin, Ken Argentieri The Georgia Court of Appeals in Ladner v. New World Communications of Atlanta, Inc., A17A00883 (Ga. App. 2017) has upheld the dismissal of a libel suit brought by a military veteran against WAGA-TV FOX 5 Atlanta. FOX 5 broadcast a series of investigative reports by reporter Randy Travis challenging…
En Banc Pennsylvania Superior Court Unanimously Vacates Defamation Judgment Against Newspaper
By Mara Gassmann The Pennsylvania Superior Court has vacated a jury’s libel judgment in favor of a prominent doctor in his long-running action against a local newspaper. Following a trial in which the jury awarded the doctor $1 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages, the trial judge vacated the punitive damages…
Illinois Court Quashes Subpoena of Reporter in High Profile Chicago Police Shooting Case
Reporter Supported by RCFP – Media Coalition Amicus By Brendan Healey A high-profile Chicago murder prosecution took a detour this past October, when the defendant, a Chicago police officer, subpoenaed a reporter for information about his interactions with sources. Jason Van Dyke is facing first-degree murder and battery charges in the 2015 death of Chicago…
From the Executive Director’s Desk: Santa’s Gift List for Media Players Naughty and Nice
To Donald Trump – The Constitution To Donald Trump – Reading lessons so he can read #1; only a few should be necessary since the First Amendment is quite short To Sarah Huckabee Sanders – A top or dreidel – which she can spin, rather than the facts To Steven Spielberg – A new script…
MediaLawLetter December 2017
Download Publication MLRC From the Executive Director’s Desk Santa’s Gift List for Media Players Naughty and Nice MLRC 2017 Annual Meeting New Director Elected; A Review of MLRC Projects and Events Ten Questions to a Media Lawyer: Gregg Thomas REPORTER’S PRIVILEGE Illinois Court Quashes Subpoena of Reporter in High Profile Chicago Police Shooting Case Reporter…