Francis v. Lake Charles American Press

ON REHEARING

SANDERS, Justice.

We granted a rehearing to reconsider our holding that the United States Supreme Court decision in Rosenbloom v. Metro-media, Inc., 403 U.S. 29, 91 S.Ct. 1811, 29 L.Ed.2d 296 (1971) barred plaintiff’s recovery. We were concerned with plaintiff’s forceful contention that our broad interpretation of that decision stripped private citizens of substantially all redress for public defamation.

The salient facts may be briefly summarized. As an accommodation, Earnest Francis signed an appearance bond of $100.-00 for Gervey Joseph LaRue, charged with a “peeping tom”…