Murphy v. Boston Herald, Inc.

We have before us on direct appellate review the special verdict of a jury in the Superior Court in a defamation case brought by the plaintiff, a judge of the Superior Court, against the defendants, the Boston Herald, Inc., and its reporter, David Wedge. The jury found that the defendants published a series of false statements about the plaintiff that held him up to public disgrace and contempt, and, further, that they published the statements either with actual knowledge that the statements were false, or with a high degree of awareness of their probable falsity. We conclude that the…