Reeves v. Knight-Ridder Newspaper, Inc.

• Decision Date: 01 July 1986
• Docket Number: No. 85-2709,KNIGHT-RIDDER,85-2709
• Citation: 11 Fla. L. Weekly 1456,490 So.2d 1333
• Parties: 11 Fla. L. Weekly 1456, 13 Media L. Rep. 1112 Curtis REEVES and Lorna Diane Le Blanc, Appellants, v.NEWSPAPER, INC., John McMullan and Edna Buchanan, Appellees.
• Court: Florida District Court of Appeals

Page 1333

490 So.2d 1333

11 Fla. L. Weekly 1456, 13 Media L. Rep. 1112

Curtis REEVES and Lorna Diane Le Blanc, Appellants, v. KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPER, INC., John McMullan and Edna Buchanan, Appellees.

No. 85-2709.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.

July 1, 1986.

Alan P. Byrd, Miami, and Dennis Berger, North Miami Beach, for appellants.

Richard H. Ovelmen, Thomson, Zeder, Bohrer, Werth, Adorno & Razook and Jerold I. Budney and Sanford L. Bohrer, Miami, for appellees.

Before NESBITT, BASKIN and FERGUSON, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

Plaintiffs, police officers, brought this action against defendants, a newspaper, its reporter and an editor, for defamation. In support of their motion for summary judgment, defendants presented substantial evidence that the publication of statements given by credible citizens questioning the officers' courage in the line of duty was without malice. In response to the motion, plaintiffs failed to produce any evidence that publication of the statements was with knowing or reckless disregard for the truth or otherwise maliciously motivated. Summary judgment was granted. We affirm on authority of Lampkin-Asam v. Miami Daily News, Inc., 408 So.2d 666 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981), rev. denied, 417 So.2d 329 (Fla.), appeal dismissed, 459 U.S. 806, 103 S.Ct. 29, 74 L.Ed.2d 44 (1982), and Newton v. Florida Freedom Newspapers, Inc., 447 So.2d 906 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984).

Affirmed.