Jackson v. Longcope

The plaintiff, Jackson, was subject to substantial criminal sentences, including a life sentence for murder in the first degree, when on May 20, 1977, the Boston Globe, a newspaper published by the corporate defendant, printed an article allegedly libelous of Jackson and written by the defendant Longcope. We conclude that Jackson was libel-proof at the time of the publication and, therefore, affirm the summary judgment entered for the defendants.

The allegedly libelous article appeared in the Boston Globe approximately one month after a Plymouth County jury found Jackson not guilty of the 1972…