{
  "id": 3466325,
  "name": "MICHAEL REED, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. NORTHWESTERN PUBLISHING COMPANY, d/b/a The Commercial News, Defendant-Appellee",
  "name_abbreviation": "Reed v. Northwestern Publishing Co.",
  "decision_date": "1987-05-20",
  "docket_number": "No. 4\u201486\u20140758",
  "first_page": "796",
  "last_page": "797",
  "citations": [
    {
      "type": "official",
      "cite": "155 Ill. App. 3d 796"
    }
  ],
  "court": {
    "name_abbreviation": "Ill. App. Ct.",
    "id": 8837,
    "name": "Illinois Appellate Court"
  },
  "jurisdiction": {
    "id": 29,
    "name_long": "Illinois",
    "name": "Ill."
  },
  "cites_to": [
    {
      "cite": "415 N.E.2d 434",
      "category": "reporters:state_regional",
      "reporter": "N.E.2d",
      "opinion_index": 0
    },
    {
      "cite": "91 Ill. App. 3d 735",
      "category": "reporters:state",
      "reporter": "Ill. App. 3d",
      "case_ids": [
        3151315
      ],
      "opinion_index": 0,
      "case_paths": [
        "/ill-app-3d/91/0735-01"
      ]
    },
    {
      "cite": "445 N.E.2d 59",
      "category": "reporters:state_regional",
      "reporter": "N.E.2d",
      "year": 1980,
      "opinion_index": 0
    },
    {
      "cite": "112 Ill. App. 3d 109",
      "category": "reporters:state",
      "reporter": "Ill. App. 3d",
      "case_ids": [
        5431964
      ],
      "year": 1980,
      "opinion_index": 0,
      "case_paths": [
        "/ill-app-3d/112/0109-01"
      ]
    },
    {
      "cite": "471 N.E.2d 1071",
      "category": "reporters:state_regional",
      "reporter": "N.E.2d",
      "opinion_index": 0
    },
    {
      "cite": "129 Ill. App. 3d 133",
      "category": "reporters:state",
      "reporter": "Ill. App. 3d",
      "case_ids": [
        3490567
      ],
      "opinion_index": 0,
      "case_paths": [
        "/ill-app-3d/129/0133-01"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "analysis": {
    "cardinality": 252,
    "char_count": 3850,
    "ocr_confidence": 0.77,
    "pagerank": {
      "raw": 5.725333510302572e-08,
      "percentile": 0.3590537517824398
    },
    "sha256": "28c933fa2e1fb76d6af8f0336174f57b759824dca4f2da94fc251943f4bfb75e",
    "simhash": "1:66fcd1e6846c9d60",
    "word_count": 583
  },
  "last_updated": "2023-07-14T20:57:39.933265+00:00",
  "provenance": {
    "date_added": "2019-08-29",
    "source": "Harvard",
    "batch": "2018"
  },
  "casebody": {
    "judges": [],
    "parties": [
      "MICHAEL REED, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. NORTHWESTERN PUBLISHING COMPANY, d/b/a The Commercial News, Defendant-Appellee."
    ],
    "opinions": [
      {
        "text": "JUSTICE SCOTT\ndelivered the opinion of the court:\nThe plaintiff, Michael Reed, filed a 1979 libel action against the defendant, Northwestern Publishing Company, d/b/a The Commercial News. In entering a summary judgment for the defendant, the trial court found that the 1978 articles were factually erroneous but, as a matter of law, that the plaintiff proved neither \u00e1ctual malice nor reckless disregard for their truth or falsity. The plaintiff appealed. The Fourth District Appellate Court reported those findings and agreed that the defendant had inaccurately and falsely summarized the grand jury report by referring to the plaintiff public official as a criminal participant in a police burglary ring. The court acknowledged the trial court\u2019s reliance on a reporter\u2019s affidavit that he concluded that the defendant was involved after conversing with the prosecutor and his assistant and reviewing the grand jury report. The court found that reporter\u2019s good faith a factual dispute that might support actual malice. Consequently, the court reversed the summary judgment and remanded for further proceedings. Reed v. Northwestern Publishing Co. (1984), 129 Ill. App. 3d 133, 471 N.E.2d 1071.\nIn a December 5, 1984, article (the article) about the Fourth District Appellate Court\u2019s reversal and remand, the defendant stated that \u201cOfficer Reed had been implicated in December 1978 C-N articles as a participant in a Danville police burglary ring which operated in 1970 and 1971. The newspaper articles were based on a 1978 grand jury report on the alleged police criminal activities and on interviews with the state\u2019s attorney\u2019s office.\u201d Those statements prompted the plaintiff\u2019s instant defamation suit.\nAfter acknowledging the jury verdict for the defendant in the 1979 cause, the trial court found that instead of defaming the plaintiff, the article simply reported the background of the plaintiff\u2019s cause, the trial court\u2019s judgment, and the appellate court\u2019s decision, which referred to the reporter\u2019s affidavit. The trial court dismissed the plaintiff\u2019s complaint finding, as a matter of law, that the article rightfully, truly, fairly and accurately reported Reed.\nOn appeal, the plaintiff concedes the defendant\u2019s qualified privilege to report judicial proceedings and the 1978 articles\u2019 implication that he participated in a police burglary ring. The plaintiff argues that the article wantonly, recklessly, untruthfully, and unfairly reported Reed. We disagree.\nA report of judicial proceedings is privileged if it accurately and completely or fairly summarizes the proceedings without actual malice, i.e., without knowingly, falsely, or recklessly disregarding the truth. (Emery v. Kimball Hill, Inc. (1983), 112 Ill. App. 3d 109, 445 N.E.2d 59; Newell v. Field Enterprises, Inc. (1980), 91 Ill. App. 3d 735, 415 N.E.2d 434.) The article stated that the erroneous 1978 publications were based on the grand jury report and interviews with the State\u2019s Attorney\u2019s office. Those facts were set forth in the author reporter\u2019s affidavit and were a basis for the decisions of both the trial court and the appellate court in the 1979 libel action.\nWe find, therefore, that the December 5, 1984, article accurately and completely or fairly summarized Reed without actual malice. Consequently, the plaintiff\u2019s complaint, as a matter of law, was appropriately dismissed.\nAccordingly, the judgment of the circuit court of Vermilion County is affirmed.\nAffirmed.\nHEIPLE and WOMBACHER, JJ., concur.",
        "type": "majority",
        "author": "JUSTICE SCOTT"
      }
    ],
    "attorneys": [
      "Richard B. Opsahl and Craig R. Hunt, both of Rantoul, for appellant.",
      "Thomas B. Meyer, of Acton, Meyer, Smith & Miller, of Danville, for appellee."
    ],
    "corrections": "",
    "head_matter": "MICHAEL REED, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. NORTHWESTERN PUBLISHING COMPANY, d/b/a The Commercial News, Defendant-Appellee.\nFourth District\nNo. 4\u201486\u20140758\nOpinion filed May 20, 1987.\nRehearing denied June 22, 1987.\nRichard B. Opsahl and Craig R. Hunt, both of Rantoul, for appellant.\nThomas B. Meyer, of Acton, Meyer, Smith & Miller, of Danville, for appellee."
  },
  "file_name": "0796-01",
  "first_page_order": 818,
  "last_page_order": 819
}