Coopersmith v. Williams

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Groves.

This was a libel action brought by the plaintiff in error (plaintiff) against the defendant in error (defendant) to recover $200,000 compensatory and $100,000 exemplary damages. At the conclusion of the plaintiffs case, the trial court directed a verdict in favor of the defendant. We affirm.

This matter arose during a period in which a number of Denver policemen were charged with burglary and wide publicity was being given to the cases by the news media. The plaintiff was one of the policemen so charged in December 1961, and was later acquitted.

A Boy Scout bus trip…