Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts

Curtis Publishing Co. (plaintiff, the defendant below) published a Saturday Evening Post article accusing Wally Butts of rigging a college football game. Butts sued for libel, and the jury awarded large general and punitive damages. Curtis sought a new trial based on the size of the punitive award, which the trial judge granted conditionally (offering a remittitur).

Whether a trial judge may remit an excessively high punitive-damages award, or order a new trial, where the award was influenced by passion and prejudice.