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October 14
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1975
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March 2
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1976
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Time, Inc v Mary Alice Firestone
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424 US 448
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Florida state court grants $100,000 libel claim for the respondent Florida Supreme Court affirms
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Mary can collect libel damages from Time, Inc, because she was not a public figure She had no special prominence in societal affairs, nor did she thrust herself into a controversy to influence its resolution
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1975-1976
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Rehnquist
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Burger, Stewart, Blackmun, Powell
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Powell
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Stewart
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Brennan
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White
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Marshall
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Stevens
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US Const Amend I US Const Amend XIV New York Times, Co v Sullivan (376 US 254)
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424 U.S. 448 (1976) was a Supreme Court case concerning defamation suits against public figures.
Mary Alice Firestone was married to Russell Firestone, heir to the Firestone family fortune. Mary filed for divorce, and Russell submitted a counterclaim on the grounds of extreme cruelty and adultery. The judge discounted much of the evidence concerning extramarital affairs. Nevertheless, Time, Inc., publisher of a weekly news magazine, ran an article about the affairs, despite evidence to the contrary. Mary filed suit in a Florida state court seeking $100,000 in damages for libel.
Time, Inc., alleged that Mary was a public figure and could not recover damages based on the ruling of
New York Times Co. V. Sullivan , which protected media from liability in such suits except in cases where there is knowledge of falsity or a reckless disregard for truth. Both the state court and Florida Supreme Court ruled that Mary was not a public figure, using language defined in Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. (418 U.S. 323).
In a 5-3 decision, with Justice Stevens abstaining, the Supreme Court ruled that Mary was not a public figure and the Flordia Supreme Court decision was upheld.
