Opinion ID: 1168234
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: herron made out a prima facie case of malice

Text: [4] It is undisputed that Herron was a public figure. In order to maintain a defamation action, therefore, he must be able to prove that McGaffin and KING acted with malice, and not merely negligently. Herron presented evidence from which a jury could conclude that McGaffin published a false statement with malice, specifically with reckless disregard for the statement's truth or falsity. The trial court erred in granting summary judgment. Malice is defined as publishing a falsehood with actual knowledge of its falsity or with reckless disregard for its truth or falsity. New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254, 279-80, 11 L.Ed.2d 686, 84 S.Ct. 710, 95 A.L.R.2d 1412 (1964). There was no evidence offered to show that McGaffin had actual, subjective knowledge that the one-half figure was false. The question is whether there was evidence from which a jury could conclude that McGaffin acted with reckless disregard. The Supreme Court of the United States defined that term in St. Amant v. Thompson, 390 U.S. 727, 730-31, 20 L.Ed.2d 262, 88 S.Ct. 1323 (1968). Reckless disregard, it is true, cannot be fully encompassed in one infallible definition.... In Garrison v. Louisiana, [379 U.S. 64, 13 L.Ed.2d 125, 85 S.Ct. 209 (1964)] ... the opinion emphasized the necessity for a showing that a false publication was made with a high degree of awareness of ... probable falsity. Mr. Justice Harlan's opinion in Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts, [388 U.S. 130, 153, 18 L.Ed.2d 1094, 87 S.Ct. 1975 (1967)], stated that evidence of either deliberate falsification or reckless publication despite the publisher's awareness of probable falsity was essential to recovery by public officials in defamation actions. These cases are clear that reckless conduct is not measured by whether a reasonably prudent man would have published, or would have investigated before publishing. There must be sufficient evidence to permit the conclusion that the defendant in fact entertained serious doubts as to the truth of his publication. (Citations omitted. Italics ours.) In order to avoid summary judgment, the plaintiff must offer evidence from which a jury could conclude, under the clear and convincing standard, that the defendant acted with reckless disregard. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., supra . Herron's evidence consists primarily of two facts. First, McGaffin claims that he was given the figure of one-half by the former prosecutor Hendry or his deputy McBroom. However, both Hendry and McBroom stated not only that they did not remember giving him that figure, but that they themselves never had such a belief, and therefore would not have said such a thing. Hendry could not recall whether he and McGaffin discussed bail bonds or bail bondsmen's contributions to Herron at all. He testified, however, that he was certain he did not tell McGaffin that approximately half Herron's contributions came from bail bondsmen. Deposition of Ronald Hendry, at 21. Hendry's deputy McBroom also could not remember the substance of his conversation with McGaffin. McBroom did testify however that he did not tell McGaffin that one-half of Herron's contributions came from bail bondsmen. Deposition of Douglas McBroom, at 21. Construing this evidence in the light most favorable to Herron, the court must assume that McGaffin did not get the figure of one-half from either Hendry or McBroom. Second, McGaffin admits that he did look at the records of the Public Disclosure Commission and that he identified those contributors who were bail bondsmen. Deposition of Don McGaffin, at 41. The bail bondsmen identified by McGaffin contributed only $825 to Herron's campaign, which McGaffin admitted he could have ascertained by simply adding up the figures. This was far less than one-half of Herron's total contributions; in fact it was only slightly more than 2 percent. These two pieces of evidence are sufficient to create an issue of fact as to whether McGaffin entertained serious doubts as to the truth of his publication. St. Amant, at 731. Construing the evidence in the light most favorable to Herron, McGaffin had no basis in fact for reporting the one-half figure. Furthermore, his investigation actually uncovered facts which directly rebutted his false statement. [5] Failure to investigate is not sufficient to prove recklessness. Sullivan, at 287; St. Amant, at 733. Nor do mistakes made in the course of investigating a news story necessarily constitute recklessness. Time, Inc. v. Pape, 401 U.S. 279, 28 L.Ed.2d 45, 91 S.Ct. 633 (1971). However, when a reporter does in fact conduct an investigation and his investigation does not support his false statement or brings to his attention facts which rebut the false statement, that is evidence from which a jury can infer reckless disregard. A case directly on point is Kuhn v. Tribune-Republican Pub'g Co., 637 P.2d 315 (Colo. 1981). In Kuhn, the defendant newspaper had published a story that officials of the Greeley (Colorado) Department of Parks and Recreation had accepted season ski lift passes from the owners of two ski areas. Those two ski areas were later chosen by the officials for lucrative group ski lift ticket purchases by the department. The article implied that the department officials had chosen the ski areas because they personally had received free passes. The reporter who wrote the story, John Seelmeyer, conducted an investigation which rebutted several of the false statements made in the article. For example, the season passes were given to the department, not to the officials personally, as reported. The story also contained information which simply had no basis in fact; for example, a dollar value for the business directed by the department to one of the ski areas. The Supreme Court of Colorado reversed a Court of Appeals decision that summary judgment should have been granted for the defendant. Here, a jury could reasonably find that the publication failed even to meet [the] generous standard [of Sullivan and St. Amant ]. Seelmeyer admitted that he had no bases for most of his erroneous statements, and that he failed to take the time to corroborate allegations made in the article, even though no particular urgency existed as to the time of publication. Actual malice may be inferred by the finder of fact if an investigation is grossly inadequate. In this context, a reporter's failure to pursue the most obvious available sources of possible corroboration or refutation may clearly and convincingly evidence a reckless disregard for the truth. (Citations omitted.) Kuhn, at 319. See also Vandenburg v. Newsweek, Inc., 507 F.2d 1024 (5th Cir.1975). In another case on point, Green v. Northern Pub'g Co., 655 P.2d 736, 38 A.L.R.4th 817 (Alaska 1982), cert. denied, 463 U.S. 1208 (1983), the defendant published a story which suggested that a prisoner, David Selberg, had died as a result of treatment in jail and that the plaintiff, a Dr. Green, was in part responsible for Selberg's death. In fact, an autopsy reported that Selberg had died of natural causes unrelated to his incarceration. Green offered evidence that the defendant's reporters were aware of the exonerating autopsy report. The Supreme Court of Alaska reversed the trial court's grant of summary judgment, holding that the reporters' knowledge of the autopsy report created an issue of material fact on reckless disregard. McGaffin's report suffers from the same defects as those at issue in Kuhn and Green. Taking the evidence in the light most favorable to Herron, McGaffin's investigation provided no basis for his false statement and in fact revealed contrary evidence. This is more than a mere failure to investigate and more than a mere mistake. Since the jury could conclude that McGaffin acted with reckless disregard, Herron is entitled to a trial on the issue of malice. [6] In addition to the evidence which directly supports an inference of reckless disregard, the jury would also be entitled to consider McGaffin's threat addressed to Sebring. [5] Malice for defamation purposes is entirely distinct from simple hostility. McDonald v. Murray, 83 Wn.2d 17, 19, 515 P.2d 151 (1973). Nevertheless, it is well established that evidence of malice in the colloquial sense is at least relevant to malice in the legal sense. Reader's Digest Ass'n v. Superior Court, 37 Cal.3d 244, 258, 690 P.2d 610, 208 Cal. Rptr. 137, 145 (1984). This evidence bolsters the inference that McGaffin might have been reckless regarding the truth of his statements, and supports the conclusion that Herron succeeded in offering sufficient evidence of malice to go to the jury.