Home > Great American Court Cases > Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. v. Hepps

Legal Citation: 475 U.S. 767 (1986)

Appellant
Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc., et al.

Appellee
Maurice S. Hepps, et al.

Petitioner's Claim
That, due to First Amendment freedom of the press protections, a private individual in cases of public interest is responsible to prove accusations of criminal activity printed by a newspaper were false to win a defamation award.

Chief Lawyer for Appellant
David H. Marion

Chief Lawyer for Appellee
Ronald H. Surkin

Justices for the Court
Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Sandra Day O'Connor (writing for the Court)

Justices Dissenting
Warren E. Burger, William H. Rehnquist, John Paul Stevens, Byron R. White

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
21 April 1986