Opinion ID: 527561
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Price's Status

Text: 13 While Price has argued his case under the New York Times standard, he is reluctant to concede that he is a public figure for these purposes. Under the circumstances, however, we do not hesitate in agreeing with the district court that Price was a public figure and that the challenged statements relate to his official conduct. 676 F.Supp. at 1510-11. 14 Price occupied a prominent role in public affairs within the Reservation. He played a substantial role in the investigation of crimes on the Reservation, including the shoot-out. While he is by no means the principal character in the book or its focus, he was the object of public notoriety over these events, having been singled out for criticism by judges and others. In addition, news accounts and editorials about this event have appeared in a variety of forums and have discussed Price's conduct. See Defendants' Exhibits nos. 35-42, 62-64, 69, 95, 96, 116, 118 (Lincoln Nebraska Journal, New York Times, The Palm Beach Post, Minneapolis Star & Tribune, San Antonio Express, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, St. Paul Press & Dispatch, Aberdeen American News, Rapid City Journal, The Los Angeles Daily Journal, People, Twin Cities Reader, Newsweek, The Washington Star, and The Nation). Serious accusations about Price have been directly made in other books. See Weyler, Blood of the Land (Everest House 1982); Brand, The Life and Death of Anna Mae Aquash (Lorimer & Co. 1978). Serious questions about his conduct have been raised by many members of Congress. Congressional Correspondence to the President, Dec. 17, 1980 (Defendants' Exhibit no. 97). 15 The challenged statements from Crazy Horse all concern the discretionary performance of Price's duties. In context, criticism of the actions Price took in his official capacity reflect on the imperatives and conduct of the F.B.I. and the government generally, implicating the type of public debate at the core of the first amendment. We therefore apply the standards set forth in New York Times. See Rosenblatt v. Baer, 383 U.S. 75, 85, 86 S.Ct. 669, 675, 15 L.Ed.2d 597 (1966) (the public official designation applies at the very least to those    who have, or appear to the public to have, substantial responsibility for or control over the conduct of government affairs.); Stevens v. Tillman, 855 F.2d 394 (7th Cir.1988) (school principal), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 109 S.Ct. 1339, 103 L.Ed.2d 809 (1989); Gray v. Udevitz, 656 F.2d 588 (10th Cir.1981) (police officer).