Opinion ID: 900097
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: request for retraction

Text: [¶ 17] SDCL 20-11-7 relates to a request for retraction. Before a plaintiff may bring a libel action against a newspaper or the publisher, editor or manager, the plaintiff: [M]ust at least three days before the commencement of such action serve a notice on the person or persons against whom said action is to be brought specifying particularly the statement or statements claimed to be false and defamatory. If on the trial it appears that such statement or statements were written or published in good faith and with the belief founded upon reasonable grounds that the same were true, and a full and fair retraction of the erroneous matter correcting any and all misstatements of fact therein contained was published in the next issue of the paper, or in the case of a daily paper within three days after the mistake was brought to the attention of the publisher, editor, or manager in as conspicuous type as the original statement and the same position in the paper, the plaintiff will be entitled to recover no punitive damages. SDCL 20-11-7. The trial judge must determine if plaintiff has fulfilled the requirements of this statute.