Commonwealth v. Pratt
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Three indictments for libel, found and returned on January 6, 1910. The third indictment was against a corporation which was the proprietor of a newspaper called the Somerville Evening Sun, and charged the publication of two libels, one on Decernber 10 and the other on December 13, 1909, regarding one John M. Woods, then mayor of Somerville and seeking re-election.
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Three indictments for libel, found and returned on January 6, 1910. The third indictment was against a corporation which was the proprietor of a newspaper called the Somerville Evening Sun, and charged the publication of two libels, one on Decernber 10 and the other on December 13, 1909, regarding one John M. Woods, then mayor of Somerville and seeking re-election. The article of December 10 charged in substance that Woods was intoxicated on the evening of July 5, 1909, at a celebration on Josephine Avenue in Somerville ; that while mayor he aided and abetted in the violation of the law…
1Opinion of the CourtKnowlton, C. J.
These exceptions were taken at the trial of three indictments, all growing out of publications of alleged libels in the Somerville Evening Sun, a newspaper published in Somerville. The person alleged to have been libelled was John M. Woods, then the mayor of Somerville and a candidate for reelection. An important question is raised by the exceptions in reference to the extent of the qualified privilege enjoyed by voters in discussing the character and qualifications of a public officer who is a candidate for re-election.
One of the defendant’s requests for rulings was as follows: “Assuming…
2Cases cited7 opinions
- Burt v. Advertiser Newspaper Co.Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1891
- Commonwealth v. ClapMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1808
- Hubbard v. AllynMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1908
- Haynes v. Clinton Printing Co.Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1897
- Dow v. LongMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1906
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- Bander v. Metropolitan Life InsuranceMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1943
- Ingalls v. Hastings & Sons Publishing Co.Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1939
- Peck v. Wakefield Item Co.Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1932
- Poland v. Post Publishing Co.Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1953
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