Handelsman v. San Francisco Chronicle

Opinion

TAYLOR, J.

Plaintiff, William D. Handelsman, appeals from a judgment entered on a special jury verdict in favor of defendant, San Francisco Chronicle, in a libel action. Plaintiff contends that; 1) the evidence does not support the judgment that the publication was within the absolute privilege of Civil Code section 47, subdivision 4; 2) the trial court erred in submitting to the jury the question of the application of the privilege; and 3) the trial court committed prejudicial error in refusing his proffered instructions on libel per se.

The basic facts are not in dispute. On May 14,…