| Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued February 23, 1967 Decided June 12, 1967 | |
| Full case name | Curtis Publishing Company v. Wally Butts |
| Citations | 388 U.S. 130 (more) 94 S. Ct. 2997; 41 L. Ed. 2d 789; 1974 U.S. LEXIS 88; 1 Media L. Rep. 1633 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Cert. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit |
| Subsequent | No. 37, 351 F.2d 702, affirmed; No. 150, 393 S.W.2d 671, reversed and remanded |
| Holding | |
| Libel damages may be recoverable against a news organization if the injured party is not a public official, but a claimant must demonstrate a reckless lack of professional standards, on the part of the organization, in examining allegations for reasonable credibility. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Plurality | Harlan, joined by Clark, Stewart, Fortas |
| Concurrence | Warren |
| Concur/dissent | Black, joined by Douglas |
| Concur/dissent | Brennan, joined by White |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. I | |
Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts, 388 U.S. 130 (1967), was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court establishing the standard of First Amendment protection against defamation claims brought by private individuals.[1]