Near v MinnesotaWord格式文档下载.docx
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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