Pierce v. The Clarion Ledger
United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi
452 F. Supp. 2d 661 (2006)
Relevant factsFree
A Clarion Ledger (defendant) reporter promised a state official not to publish information about state officials misusing government airplanes until the story was verified, but the paper published it unverified, implicating official Pierce (plaintiff) as arranging the misuse to secure a federal appointment he ultimately received; Pierce sued the paper and its publisher for breach of contract based on the reporter's broken confidentiality promise, and the defendants moved for summary judgment.
IssueFree
Whether a moral obligation, such as a reporter's promise of source confidentiality, gives rise to an express or implied contractual duty.