Near v Minnesota.docx
- 文档编号:7071603
- 上传时间:2023-01-16
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:21
- 大小:40.88KB
Near v Minnesota.docx
《Near v Minnesota.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《Near v Minnesota.docx(21页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
NearvMinnesota
Nearv.Minnesota
No.91
SUPREMECOURTOFTHEUNITEDSTATES
283U.S.697
January30,1931
June1,1931
Syllabus
1.AMinnesotastatutedeclaresthatonewhoengages"inthebusinessofregularlyandcustomarilyproducing,publishing,"etc.,"amalicious,scandalousanddefamatorynewspaper,magazineorotherperiodical,"isguiltyofanuisance,andauthorizessuits,inthenameoftheState,inwhichsuchperiodicalsmaybeabatedandtheirpublishersenjoinedfromfutureviolations.Insuchasuit,malicemaybeinferredfromthefactofpublication.Thedefendantispermittedtoprove,asadefense,thathispublicationsweretrueandpublished"withgoodmotivesandforjustifiableends."Disobedienceofaninjunctionispunishableasacontempt.Heldunconstitutional,asappliedtopublicationschargingneglectofdutyandcorruptionuponthepartoflaw-enforcingofficersoftheState.Pp.704,709,712,722.
2.LibertyofthepressiswithinthelibertysafeguardedbythedueprocessclauseoftheFourteenthAmendmentfrominvasionbystateaction.P.707.
3.Libertyofthepressisnotanabsoluteright,andtheStatemaypunishitsabuse.P.708.
4.Inpassingupontheconstitutionalityofthestatute,thecourthasregardforsubstance,andnotforform;thestatutemustbetestedbyitsoperationandeffect.P.708.[698]
5.Cuttingthroughmeredetailsofprocedure,theoperationandeffectofthestatuteisthatpublicauthoritiesmaybringapublisherbeforeajudgeuponachargeofconductingabusinessofpublishingscandalousanddefamatorymatter--inparticular,thatthematterconsistsofchargesagainstpublicofficialsofofficialdereliction--and,unlessthepublisherisableanddisposedtosatisfythejudgethatthechargesaretrueandarepublishedwithgoodmotivesandforjustifiableends,hisnewspaperorperiodicalissuppressedandfurtherpublicationismadepunishableasacontempt.Thisistheessenceofcensorship.P.713.
6.Astatuteauthorizingsuchproceedingsinrestraintofpublicationisinconsistentwiththeconceptionofthelibertyofthepressashistoricallyconceivedandguaranteed.P.713.
7.Thechiefpurposeoftheguarantyistopreventpreviousrestraintsuponpublication.Thelibeler,however,remainscriminallyandcivillyresponsibleforhislibels.P.713.
8.Thereareundoubtedlylimitationsupontheimmunityfrompreviousrestraintofthepress,buttheyarenotapplicableinthiscase.P.715.
9.Thelibertyofthepresshasbeenespeciallycherishedinthiscountryasrespectspublicationscensuringpublicofficialsandchargingofficialmisconduct.P.716.
10.Publicofficersfindtheirremediesforfalseaccusationsinactionsforredressandpunishmentunderthelibellaws,andnotinproceedingstorestrainthepublicationofnewspapersandperiodicals.P.718.
11.Thefactthatthelibertyofthepressmaybeabusedbymiscreantpurveyorsofscandaldoesnotmakeanythelessnecessarytheimmunityfrompreviousrestraintindealingwithofficialmisconduct.P.720.
12.Characterizingthepublicationofchargesofofficialmisconductasa"business,"andthebusinessasanuisance,doesnotavoidtheconstitutionalguaranty;nordoesitmatterthattheperiodicalislargelyorchieflydevotedtosuchcharges.P.720.
13.Theguarantyagainstpreviousrestraintextendstopublicationschargingofficialderelictionsthatamounttocrimes.P.720.
14.Permittingthepublishertoshowindefensethatthematterpublishedistrueandispublishedwithgoodmotivesandforjustifiableendsdoesnotjustifythestatute.P.721.
15.Norcanitbesustainedasameasureforpreservingthepublicpeaceandpreventingassaultsandcrime.Pp.721,722.
179Minn.40;228N.W.326,reversed.[699]
MR.CHIEFJUSTICEHUGHESdeliveredtheopinionoftheCourt.
Chapter285oftheSessionLawsofMinnesotafortheyear1925[note1]providesfortheabatement,asapublicnuisance,ofa"malicious,scandalousanddefamatorynewspaper,[702]magazineorotherperiodical."SectiononeoftheActisasfollows:
Section1.Anypersonwho,asanindividual,orasamemberoremployeeofafirm,orassociationororganization,orasanofficer,director,memberoremployeeofacorporation,shallbeengagedinthebusinessofregularlyorcustomarilyproducing,publishingorcirculating,havinginpossession,sellingorgivingaway
(a)anobscene,lewdandlasciviousnewspaper,magazine,orotherperiodical,or
(b)amalicious,scandalousanddefamatorynewspaper,magazineorotherperiodical,isguiltyofanuisance,andallpersonsguiltyofsuchnuisancemaybeenjoined,ashereinafterprovided.
Participationinsuchbusinessshallconstituteacommissionofsuchnuisanceandrendertheparticipantliableandsubjecttotheproceedings,ordersandjudgmentsprovidedforinthisAct.Ownership,inwholeorinpart,directlyorindirectly,ofanysuchperiodical,orofanystockorinterestinanycorporationororganizationwhichownsthesameinwholeorinpart,orwhichpublishesthesame,shallconstitutesuchparticipation.
Inactionsbroughtunder(b)above,thereshallbeavailablethedefensethatthetruthwaspublishedwithgoodmotivesandforjustifiableendsandinsuchactionstheplaintiffshallnothavetherighttoreport(sic)toissuesoreditionsofperiodicalstakingplacemorethanthreemonthsbeforethecommencementoftheaction.
Sectiontwoprovidesthat,wheneveranysuchnuisanceiscommittedorexists,theCountyAttorneyofanycountywhereanysuchperiodicalispublishedorcirculated,or,incaseofhisfailureorrefusaltoproceeduponwrittenrequestingoodfaithofareputablecitizen,theAttorneyGeneral,or,uponlikefailureorrefusalofthelatter,anycitizenofthecountymaymaintainanactioninthedistrictcourtofthecountyinthenameoftheStatetoenjoin[703]perpetuallythepersonscommittingormaintaininganysuchnuisancefromfurthercommittingormaintainingit.Uponsuchevidenceasthecourtshalldeemsufficient,atemporaryinjunctionmaybegranted.Thedefendantshavetherighttopleadbydemurreroranswer,andtheplaintiffmaydemurorreplyasinothercases.
Theaction,bysectionthree,istobe"governedbythepracticeandprocedureapplicabletocivilactionsforinjunctions,"and,aftertrial,thecourtmayenterjudgmentpermanentlyenjoiningthedefendantsfoundguiltyofviolatingtheActfromcontinuingtheviolation,and,"inandbysuchjudgment,suchnuisancemaybewhollyabated."Thecourtisempowered,asinothercasesofcontempt,topunishdisobediencetoatemporaryorpermanentinjunctionbyfineofnotmorethan$1,000orbyimprisonmentinthecountyjailfornotmorethantwelvemonths.
Underthisstatute,clause(b),theCountyAttorneyofHennepinCountybroughtthisactiontoenjointhepublicationofwhatwasdescribedasa"malicious,scandalousanddefamatorynewspaper,magazineandperiodical"knownas"TheSaturdayPress,"publishedbythedefendantsinthecityofMinneapolis.Thecomplaintallegedthatthedefendants,onSeptember24,1927,andoneightsubsequentdatesinOctoberandNovember,1927,publishedandcirculatededitionsofthatperiodicalwhichwere"largelydevotedtomalicious,scandalousanddefamatoryarticles"concerningCharlesG.Davis,FrankW.Brunskill,theMinneapolisTribune,theMinneapolisJournal,MelvinC.Passolt,GeorgeE.Leach,theJewishRace,themembersoftheGrandJuryofHennepinCountyimpaneledinNovember,1927,andthenholdingoffice,andotherpersons,asmorefullyappearedinexhibitsannexedtothecomplaint,consistingofcopiesofthearticlesdescribedandconstituting327pagesoftherecord.Whilethecomplaintdidnotsoallege,it[704]appearsfromthebriefsofbothpartiesthatCharlesG.Daviswasaspeciallawenforcementofficeremployedbyacivicorganization,thatGeorgeE.LeachwasMayorofMinneapolis,thatFrankW.BrunskillwasitsChiefofPolice,andthatFloydB.Olson(therelatorinthisaction)wasCountyAttorney.
Withoutattemptingtosummarizethecontentsofthevoluminousexhibitsattachedtothecomplaint,wedeemitsufficienttosaythatthearticleschargedinsubstancethataJewishgangsterwasincontrolofgambling,bootleggingandracketeeringinMinneapolis,andthatlawenforcingofficersandagencieswerenotenergeticallyperformingtheirduties.MostofthechargesweredirectedagainsttheChiefofPolice;hewaschargedwithgrossneglectofduty,illicitrelationswithgangsters,andwithparticipationingraft.TheCountyAttorneywaschargedwithknowingtheexistingconditionsandwithfailuretotakeadequatemeasurestoremedythem.TheMayorwasaccusedofinefficiencyanddereliction.Onememberofthegrandjurywasstatedtobeinsympathywiththegangsters.Aspecialgrandjuryandaspecialprosecutorweredemandedtodealwiththesituationingeneral,and,inparticular,toinvestigateanattempttoassassinateoneGuilford,oneoftheoriginaldefendants,who,itappearsfromthearticles,wasshotbygangstersafterthefirstissueoftheperiodicalhadbeenpublished.Thereisnoquestionbutthatthearticlesmadeseriousaccusationsagainstthepublicofficersnamedandothersinconnectionwiththeprevalenceofcrimesandthefailuretoexposeandpunishthem.
Atthebeginningoftheaction,onNovember22,1927,andupontheverifiedcomplaint,anorderwasmadedirectingthedefendantstoshowcausewhyatemporaryinjunctionshouldnotissueandmeanwhileforbiddingthedefendantstopublish,circulateorhaveintheirpossessionanyeditionsoftheperiodicalfromSeptember[705]24,1927,toNovember19,1927,inclusive,andfrompublishing,circulati
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- Near Minnesota
![提示](https://static.bdocx.com/images/bang_tan.gif)