Philadelphia Newspapers v. Hepps

Philadelphia Newspapers (defendant) published stories linking Hepps (plaintiff) and his company to organized crime and improper influence over state government; Hepps sued for defamation, and the trial court held he could not recover without proving falsity, though it left open whether the newspaper's reliance on Pennsylvania's reporter shield law could support an inference of falsity. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court instead held Hepps could recover by proving fault alone, without separately proving falsity, and remanded for a new trial; the U.S. Supreme Court took the case.