Near v Minnesota.docx

Near v Minnesota.docx

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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