Khawar v. Globe International, Inc.

MODIFICATION

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW


California doesn't recognize neutral reportage privilege for republication of libel concerning private figure. KHALID IQBAL KHAWAR, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. GLOBE INTERNATIONAL, INC., Defendant and Appellant. No. S054868 Ct. App. 2/7 B084899 Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. WEC139685 ALI AHMAD, Plaintiff and Appellant, v. GLOBE INTERNATIONAL, INC., Defendant and Respondent. California Supreme Court Filed December 22, 1998
THE COURT. -- The opinion herein, appearing at 19 Cal.4th 254,* is modified as follows:
        The final sentence of the first full paragraph on page 265, commencing with the words "Thus, assuming" and ending with the words "defamatory staatements," is modified to read as follows:
        "Thus, assuming a person may ever be accurately characterized as an involuntary public figure, we infer from the logic of Gertz that the high court would reserve this characterization for an individual who, despite never having voluntarily engaged the public's attention in an attempt to influence the outcome of a public controversy, nonetheless has acquired such public prominence in relation to the controversy as to permit media access sufficient to effectively counter media-published defamatory statements."
        This modification does not effect a change in the judgment.


* See Daily Appellate Report of November 3, 1998, page 11309, column 2, paragraph 1, line 10.