Thomas A. Joseph, Thomas J. Joseph, Acumark, Inc. v. Scranton Times, L.P.

• Decision Date: 13 May 2014
• Citation: 2014 PA Super 49,89 A.3d 251
• Court: Pennsylvania Superior Court
• Parties: Thomas A. JOSEPH, Thomas J. Joseph, Acumark, Inc., and Airport Limousine and Taxi Service, Inc., Appellants v. The SCRANTON TIMES, L.P., The Times Partner, James Conmy, and Edward Lewis, Appellees.

89 A.3d 251

2014 PA Super 49

Thomas A. JOSEPH, Thomas J. Joseph, Acumark, Inc., and Airport Limousine and Taxi Service, Inc., Appellants

v.The SCRANTON TIMES, L.P., The TimesPartner, James Conmy, and Edward Lewis, Appellees.

Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

Argued July 10, 2013.

Filed March 11, 2014.

Reargument Denied May 13, 2014.

George Croner, Philadelphia, for appellants.

Kevin C. Abbott, Pittsburgh, for appellees.

BEFORE: MUNDY, J., OLSON, J., and STRASSBURGER, J.^*

OPINION BY STRASSBURGER, J.:

Thomas A. Joseph(Joseph, Sr.), Thomas J. Joseph(Joseph, Jr.), Acumark, Inc.(Acumark), and Airport Limousine and Taxi Service, Inc.(Airport Limousine)(Appellants, collectively) appeal from the April 23, 2012¹ judgment entered upon a non-jury verdict against Appellants and in favor of The Scranton Times, L.P.(Scranton Times), The Times Partner, James Conmy(Conmy), and Edward Lewis(Lewis)(Appellees, collectively) in this defamation action.We vacate the judgment; affirm in part and reverse in part the order denying Appellants' post-trial motions; and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

I.Facts and Procedural History

A prior panel of this Court summarized the facts and history of this case as follows.

FACTS

The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Unit and the Pennsylvania State Police(PSP)Bureau of Criminal Investigation Division, Organized Crime Northeast Section, were conducting a joint investigation of William D'Elia, the reputed head of the Bufalino crime family of northeastern Pennsylvania.As part of the investigation, the federal agents and PSP troopers applied for search warrants for the homes and businesses of various associates of Mr. D'Elia.On May 29, 2001, the federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania issued search warrants that authorized, inter alia, the searches of the home of [Joseph, Sr.] and ... Acumark.¹ The search warrants were issued based on the affidavits of probable cause stating that a criminal conspiracy existed among Mr. D'Elia and others.The search warrants issued against Appell[ants] authorized the search and seizure of any documents or materials demonstrating violation of the federal racketeering and racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO)statutes, records relating to an illegal sports bookmaking operation, and records relating to the secreting of assets.²

¹[Joseph, Sr.] was the sole shareholder of Appell[ant] Acumark.

² Specifically, the warrant permitted the search for evidence of interstate transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises (18 U.S.C. § 1952), illegal gambling (18 U.S.C. § 1955), money laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956 & § 1957), and RICO(18 U.S.C. § 1962).

On May 31, 2001, federal agents and PSP troopers conducted searches of several businesses and individuals' homes pursuant to the search warrants, including the home of [Joseph, Sr.] and the office of ... Acumark.At approximately 8:00 a.m., twenty to thirty armed IRS agents and PSP troopers entered [Joseph, Sr.'s] home in suburban Wilkes–Barre.The search lasted until approximately 3:00 p.m., and the seizure consisted of business and bank records of [Joseph, Sr.'s] businesses including ... Acumark.

Also on the morning of May 31st, approximately thirty armed federal agents executed the search warrant of ... Acumark's office in Wilkes–Barre.The agents seized ... Acumark's business records and records that involved [Joseph, Sr.'s] other business ventures.

The IRS agents and PSP troopers also executed search warrants at the homes of Mr. D'Elia and Jean Stanton and the home and office of Mr. Samuel Marranca.In addition, a search warrant was issued for the office of Raymond Zavada, who served as [Joseph, Sr.'s] personal and business accountant.The agents seized all of Mr. Zavada's files that related to [Joseph, Sr.] and his business ventures.

The Newspaper Articles

As a result of the execution of the search warrants on May 31st, the local news media began reporting news stories on June 1, 2001.The Citizens' Voice, a local newspaper in the Wilkes–Barre–Scranton area owned by Appell[ee]The Scranton Times LP, published ten news stories from June 1, 2001, through October 10, 2001, that involved [Joseph, Sr.] or ... Acumark.Appell[ee] Lewis, a Citizens' Voice staff writer, wrote or co-wrote the final eight articles.A brief summary of the articles follows.

On June 1, 2001, the Citizens' Voice published an article[authored by Conmy] headlined “Feds Raid Business in Pittston.”The article reported that approximately thirty federal and state agents executed a federal search warrant at the office of ... Acumark.The article did not mention [Joseph, Sr.].

On June 2, 2001, the Citizens' Voice published an article headlined “Home of Acumark Owner Searched by Federal Agents.”This article reported that federal agents searched [Joseph, Sr.'s] home.The article also reported that Michael Mey, Esquire, [Joseph, Sr.'s] attorney, confirmed that records were removed from ... Acumark's office.The article included Attorney Mey's statement that [Joseph, Sr.] did not know of any reason why a search warrant was served nor of any type of illegal activity at his home or business.Attorney Mey concluded by stating that he made requests to the IRS and Department of Treasury for information regarding the searches.

On June 5, 2001, the Citizens' Voice published an article[authored by Conmy and Lewis] headlined “Alleged Money-laundering Scheme Linked to Pittston Raid.”The article reported that a source informed that “a money-laundering ring might have been the reason behind the federal search warrants issued last week.”The article continued that “the ‘three main players' whose residences were searched ... allegedly were laundering money through Acumark ... and a limousine/taxi service.”The article also reported that an unknown amount of money had been allegedly laundered in the 1990s through The Metro, a then-defunct newspaper, by buying fake advertisement space, and continued through ... Acumark after the sale of The Metro.The article reported that the search warrants were executed following months of video surveillance and a federal grand jury investigation.The article repeated that the federal agents searched the homes of Mr. D'Elia, [Joseph, Sr.], Ms. Stanton, and Mr. Marranca and the office of ... Acumark.The article also repeated that Attorney Mey confirmed that business records were removed from ... Acumark's office but was unsure if records were removed from [Joseph, Sr.'s] home.The article also mentioned that records seized from an office at 1303 Wyoming Avenue, Exeter, involved The Metro.Appell[ees] published a picture of [Joseph, Sr.] with the article.

On August 5, 2001, the Citizens' Voice published an article[authored by Lewis and Conmy] headlined “Former Avoca Bar Target of Federal Money Laundering Probe.”The article centered on an investigation into alleged prostitution and drug trafficking of Al Carpinet, Jr., at Lavelle's Pub.The article concluded with a recitation of the earlier articles involving the grand jury investigation of [Joseph, Sr.] The Citizens' Voice described the investigation as ongoing and stated that it had learned that federal authorities were focusing on a limousine and taxi service based at the Wilkes–Barre–Scranton and Lehigh Valley international airports as a means to transport money, drugs, prostitutes, and guns from Atlantic City, Philadelphia, and New York City.

Also, on August 5, 2001, the Citizens' Voice published an article[authored by Lewis] headlined “Firearms Dealer Denies Involvement in Alleged Money Laundering Scheme.”The article centered on Gus Salazar, a Wyoming County firearms dealer, and stated that the PSP and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, seized his firearms inventory.The article included Salazar's denial that he was involved with [Joseph, Sr.] or the money laundering.The article reported that Attorney Mey represented Salazar and [Joseph, Sr.].The Citizens' Voice indicated that a “source said both Salazar and Joseph have an interest in the collection of firearms linking the two together to the federal investigation.”The article included Attorney Mey's response that [Joseph, Sr.] and Salazar were only connected by their retention of him for legal services.

On August 6, 2001, the Citizens' Voice published an article[authored by Lewis and Conmy] headlined “Probe Investigating Pub Clientele.”The article reported the investigation into the alleged illegal activity of the patrons of Lavelle's Pub.The article also reported that a federal grand jury began receiving testimony about alleged money laundering at the beginning of the year and that the investigation widened to include prostitution, gun running, and drug trafficking.The article included a comment from a source who explained that IRS involvement began two years prior when the IRS received information that as much as $3 million had been laundered through The Metro, a newspaper formerly owned by [Joseph, Sr.].The article also reported that several reliable sources stated that limousine services at two airports were being investigated for possibly transporting money, drugs, and firearms in attaché cases in trunks of the vehicles owned by the limousine services.The article continued that according to public records, [Joseph, Sr.] and his son, [Joseph, Jr.], owned and operated limousine and taxi services at the airports.

On August 8, 2001, the Citizens' Voice published an article[authored by Lewis] headlined “Ex–Metro Owner: I Didn't See Joseph Do Anything Wrong.”The article included an interview that the Citizens' Voice conducted with Bob Butts, a former employee of [Joseph, Sr.] at The Metro who later purchased the paper from [Joseph, Sr.].The article included Mr. Butts' praise of [Joseph, Sr.] and another former Metro employee's comment that he had knowledge of The...