Coe v. STATESMAN-JOURNAL COMPANY

This is an action seeking damages for an injury to plaintiff’s reputation. A demurrer was sustained to plaintiffs complaint and he appeals from a judgment for defendant resulting from his refusal to plead further.

Plaintiff was a public official and candidate for public office. Defendant, a newspaper, published that a third party was a convicted embezzler with a criminal record. Subsequently and prior to the election, defendant negligently published a picture of plaintiff with a caption bearing the third party’s name and, in the same publication, a picture of the third party bearing…