Alonzo W. Lawrence and James Simpson, Plaintiffs-Respondents v. Bauer Publishing & Printing Ltd., a Corporation…

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that both plaintiffs were public figures for the limited purpose of the firehouse appropriation controversy and that the defendants did not show clear and convincing evidence of actual malice, so the qualified First Amendment privilege barred liability; the Court vacated the new trial for Lawrence and reversed the judgment for Simpson, entering judgment for the defendants. Justice Schreiber, dissenting, argued that the plaintiffs should not be treated as public figures and that actual malice was shown.