Washington Post Co. v. Wells
Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Hearing on an appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia upon the verdict of a jury in an action of libel. The Court in the opinion stated the facts as follows: • This appeal is taken from a judgment rendered on a verdict in favor of the appellee, William L. Wells.
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Hearing on an appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia upon the verdict of a jury in an action of libel. The Court in the opinion stated the facts as follows: • This appeal is taken from a judgment rendered on a verdict in favor of the appellee, William L. Wells. The appellant, the Washington Post Company, a corporation publishing a newspaper in the city of Washington, received from its correspondent at Norfolk, Virginia, the article complained of as libelous, and in due course published it. .The article relates to a murder committed in January,…
1Opinion of the CourtJustice Duell
There is but one question presented by this appeal, although the assignment of error as stated is in form two fold, — that the court below erred in instructing the jury that the article was a libel upon the plaintiff, and that it was error to refuse to grant the motion for the direction of a verdict for defendant. It does not directly appear what instruction the court gave the jury, but the refusal of the court to direct a verdict for defendant was tantamount to such an instruction. The question at issue, however, is clearly enough presented in assigning error in the refusal of the court to…
2Cases cited1 opinion
- Conroy v. Pittsburgh TimesSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1891
3Cited by1 opinion
- Lubore v. Pittsburgh Courier Pub. Co.District Court, District of Columbia · 1951