Pickford v. Talbott, 211 U.S. 199 (1908)

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Pickford v. Talbott


No. 13


Argued October 26, 1908
Decided November 30, 1908
211 U.S. 199

ERROR TO THE COURT OF APPEALS
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Syllabus

Crime and credulity are not the same, and mere neglect on the part of a prosecuting officer to investigate the character of witnesses on whose testimony an indictment is based is not tantamount to deliberate design, and in a suit for libel brought by such an officer against the owner of a journal charging him with blackmail, evidence as to whether he had made such investigation was properly excluded as irrelevant, the court not having excluded evidence as to the plaintiff’s character. In this case, the court below rightly held the defendant responsible for the publication of the libel.

28 App.D.C. 498 affirmed.

The facts are stated in the opinion.