MediaLawLetter January 2018
MLRC
From the Executive Director’s Desk
Trump’s Legal Threats Against Bannon and Wolff Are as Empty as They Are Foolish
Ten Questions to a Media Lawyer: Julie Ford
REPORTER’S PRIVILEGE
Va. Cir.: Court Quashes Subpoena for TV Station’s Interview With Alleged Sexual Assault Victim
Defendant Failed to Show Outtakes Were Essential to His Defense
Commonwealth v. Townley
LIBEL & PRIVACY
9th Cir.: Court Affirms Dismissal of Hungarian Olympian’s Defamation Claims
Speculation About Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs Not Defamatory
Hosszu v. Barrett
Mich. Cir.: Burke Ramsey Defamation Suit Against CBS Survives Motion to Dismiss
Examination of Unsolved JonBenet Ramsey Killing Not Opinion as a Matter of Law
Ramsey v. CBS Corp.
N.Y. App.: Court Affirms Dismissal of Trump Tweet Libel Suit
Tweets, Related Statements Were Opinion and Hyperbole
Jacobus v. Trump
S.D. Ohio: Libel By Twitter Claim Against Actor James Woods Dismissed
Question Mark Meant Tweet Was Not a Statement of Fact
Boulger v. Woods
N.Y. App.: HIV Positive Status Is Defamatory Per Se Under NY Law
Court Rejects Argument That “Loathsome Disease” Category is Archaic
Nolan v. New York
INTERNET
N.D. Cal.: Section 230 Shields Twitter, Facebook, and Google from Terrorism and Emotional Distress Claims
Pennie v. Twitter
ACCESS
Ariz. App. Court of Appeals Declares Media Restrictions Unconstitutional
Phoenix Newspapers v. Otis
Nev. Dist.: Media Coalition Wins Access to Warrant Materials in Las Vegas Mass Shooting
In re Sealed Search Warrant
INSURANCE
From the MLRC Insurance Committee: This Means War – Dispute Over Scope of Insurance Policy’s “War” Exclusions Rests On “Layperson” Understanding of Term
Univ. Cable Prods. LLC & Northern Entm’t Prods. LLC v. Atlantic Specialty Insurance