Supreme Court of Illinois

In a defamation suit, dismissal of the complaint is affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded where: 1) the fair report privilege does not yield to allegations that a media defendant reported with actual malice false statements made in an official proceeding; 2) there is no judicial-action limitation on the fair report privilege in Illinois; and 3) there were aspects of the defamation complaint which should not have been dismissed.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/22/2006
• Published 06/22/2006

Judges

• Justice FITZGERALD delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion:

Court

• Supreme Court of Illinois

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Frederick J. Sperling, Sondar A. Hemeryck, of Schiff Hardin, L.L.P., Chicago, for appellants., David W. Andich, of Andich & Andich, Rock Island, for amicus curiae Chicago Reader, Inc., James A. Klenk, Samuel Fifer, Gregory R. Naron, Natalie Spears, of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, Chicago, for amici curiae Chicago Tribune Company and The Copley Press, Inc., Donald M. Craven, Springfield, for amicus curiae Illinois Press Association.


• For Appellees:
  
• Paul K. Vickrey, Patrick F. Solon, Eric Mersmann, of Niro, Scavone, Haller & Niro, Chicago, for appellees.