Legal Opinion
Hatchard v. Westinghouse Broadcasting Co.
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Decided October 15, 1987No. 89 E.D. Appeal Dkt. 1986PublishedCited by 55 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
OPINION
NIX, Chief Justice.
These consolidated appeals present the question of whether the Pennsylvania Shield Law, 42 Pa.C.S. § 5942(a), protects from discovery by a plaintiff in a libel action all unpublished documentary information gathered by a television station.
Both appeals arise out of libel actions against local television stations and their parent broadcasting companies for news broadcasts that allegedly defamed the respective plaintiffs. In the first case, appellants George Hatchard and Mount Pocono AMC/JEEP, Inc., (“Hatchard”) sued appellees Westinghouse Broadcasting Company and…
2Cases cited11 opinions
- New York Times Co. v. SullivanSupreme Court of the United States · 1964
- Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.Supreme Court of the United States · 1974
- Curtis Publishing Co. v. ButtsSupreme Court of the United States · 1967
- Herbert v. LandoSupreme Court of the United States · 1979
- Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. v. HeppsSupreme Court of the United States · 1986
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3Cited by55 opinions
- Commonwealth v. Muniz, J., Aplt.Supreme Court of Pennsylvania · 2017
- Delaney v. Superior CourtCalifornia Supreme Court · 1990
- In the Interest of J.B.Supreme Court of Pennsylvania · 2014
- R. v. Com., Dept. of Public WelfareSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1994
- Balletta v. SpadoniCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania · 2012
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