LaMon v. Butler

*218Durham, J.

The plaintiffs in this case sued a newspaper and one of its reporters for allegedly defamatory statements appearing in its news articles. The trial judge dismissed the plaintiffs' cause of action by summary judgment. The Court of Appeals affirmed, holding that the plaintiffs had failed to make a prima facie showing of the defendants' fault. Although our analysis differs somewhat from that of the Court of Appeals, we also affirm the trial court's decision.

On July 2, 1972, an altercation took place between Lorraine LaMon and John Peterson. Both Lorraine LaMon and her husband, Edward,…