Court Opinion

ID: 9431785
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 23:33:12.952337+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:23:30.258932
License: Public Domain

*694Justice White,
with whom The Chief Justice joins,
concurring.
In my view, in cases like this the historical facts — e. g., who did what to whom and when — are re viewable only under the clearly-erroneous standard mandated by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 52. Credibility determinations fall in this category, as does the issue of knowledge of falsity. But as I observed in dissent in Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc., 466 U. S. 485, 515 (1984), the reckless disregard component of the New York Times Co. v. Sullivan “actual malice” standard is not a question of historical fact. A trial court’s determination of that issue therefore is to be reviewed independently by the appellate court.
As I read it, the Court’s opinion is consistent with these views, and — as Justice Kennedy observes — is consistent with the views expressed by Justice Scalia in his concurrence. Based on these premises, I join the Court’s opinion.