Opinion ID: 469790
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: constitutional privilege

Text: 27 Webster also argues that the absolute privilege of the common law cannot survive the Supreme Court's recent decision in McDonald v. Smith, --- U.S. ---, 105 S.Ct. 2787, 86 L.Ed.2d 384 (1985). In that case McDonald had sent a letter criticizing Smith, who was a nominee for the position of United States Attorney in North Carolina, to the President and several Members of Congress. Citing White v. Nicholls, 44 U.S. (3 How.) 266, 11 L.Ed. 591 (1845) (a privilege case decided under the pre-Erie federal common law), the Court held that the right to petition was sufficiently protected by North Carolina's malice rule--a rule akin to the one imposed by New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254, 84 S.Ct. 710, 11 L.Ed.2d 686 (1964). The constitutional protection of the right to petition does not require states to provide an absolute privilege for all communications with government. 28 The holding in McDonald v. Smith balances the need for free flow of information to the government against the state's interest in protecting individuals from defamation. Webster argues that the same factors must be balanced in this case, and that by analogy the Supreme Court's reasoning on constitutional privilege should control the common law privilege. 29 Given the essential equivalence in the goals of the right to petition and the common-law privilege as applied to unsolicited statements, it would be anomalous, indeed, for a common-law privilege to afford a greater degree of protection than a constitutional privilege. 30 Brief for appellants at 18. 31 Sun distinguishes McDonald v. Smith in the first instance by noting that it involves a communication to the Executive Branch, and that such communications typically receive less protection at common law than communications with courts or legislatures. Compare RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS Sec. 598 with id. Sec. 588 and Sec. 590A. In any event, it is not particularly anomalous    for a common-law privilege to afford a greater degree of protection than a constitutional privilege. The Constitution sets out the minimum protection for First Amendment rights, but it does not prohibit state law from providing a higher level of protection. Cf. PruneYard Shopping Center v. Robins, 447 U.S. 74, 100 S.Ct. 2035, 64 L.Ed.2d 741 (1980). As Anderson's memorandum to Lindahl is protected by the common law privilege, we need not decide whether it would be protected by the right to petition as well. 7 32 If Webster could point to a Supreme Court case that established intervening controlling authority on the limits of the privilege, we would be obligated to follow it. But it is not enough that, by analogizing to McDonald v. Smith, plaintiffs could now make a more persuasive argument    than we would have thought likely when the case was last here. Fogel v. Chestnutt, 668 F.2d 100, 109 (2d Cir.1981). Absent a clear change in the governing doctrine, we must follow the law of the case set down in the opinion of the earlier panel.