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Beckley Newspapers v. Hanks, 389 U.S. 81 (1967)
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General SummaryThis case is from a collection containing the full text of over 16,000 Supreme Court cases from 1793 to the present. The body of Supreme Court decisions are, effectively, the final interpretation of the Constitution. Only an amendment to the Constitution can permanently overturn an interpretation and this has happened only four times in American history.
Beckley Newspapers v. Hanks, 389 U.S. 81 (1967)
Beckley Newspapers v. Hanks No. 467 Decided November 6, 1967 389 U.S. 81
ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE
CIRCUIT COURT OF WEST VIRGINIA, WYOMING COUNTY
Syllabus
Respondent brought this action in a West Virginia circuit court alleging that. three editorials in petitioner’s newspaper criticizing his official conduct as court clerk had libeled him. The jury had been instructed in part that it could find for respondent if it were shown that petitioner had published the editorials "with bad or corrupt motive," or "from personal spite, ill-will or a desire to injure plaintiff." Respondent contended that there was sufficient proof for the jury to find that petitioner published the statements with reckless disregard of whether they were false or not. The jury awarded respondent damages and the State Supreme Court of Appeals denied appellate review.
Held: The Court’s independent examination of the whole record does not reveal that any failure of petitioner to make a prior investigation constituted proof sufficient to present a jury question whether the statements were published with reckless disregard of whether they were false or not. Cf. New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254, 287-288 (1964).
Certiorari granted; reversed and remanded.
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Chicago:
U.S. Supreme Court, "Syllabus," Beckley Newspapers v. Hanks, 389 U.S. 81 (1967) in 389 U.S. 81 Original Sources, accessed July 30, 2025, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=5UY27D9HTM4LN9C.
MLA:
U.S. Supreme Court. "Syllabus." Beckley Newspapers v. Hanks, 389 U.S. 81 (1967), in 389 U.S. 81, Original Sources. 30 Jul. 2025. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=5UY27D9HTM4LN9C.
Harvard:
U.S. Supreme Court, 'Syllabus' in Beckley Newspapers v. Hanks, 389 U.S. 81 (1967). cited in 1967, 389 U.S. 81. Original Sources, retrieved 30 July 2025, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=5UY27D9HTM4LN9C.
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