Scott McCluen v. The Roane County Times, Inc., D/B/A The Standard and Gerald Largen

Court of Appeals of Tennessee

Scott McCluen v. The Roane County Times, Inc., D/B/A The Standard and Gerald Largen

DecidedJuly 9, 1996

Docket03A01-9512-CV-00434

StatusPublished

This text of Scott McCluen v. The Roane County Times, Inc., D/B/A The Standard and Gerald Largen (Scott McCluen v. The Roane County Times, Inc., D/B/A The Standard and Gerald Largen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Scott McCluen v. The Roane County Times, Inc., D/B/A The Standard and Gerald Largen, (Tenn. Ct. App. 1996).

Pincite

Opinion

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON FILED July 9, 1996

Cecil Crowson, Jr. Appellate C ourt Clerk

SCOTT M CLUEN c ) ROANE COUNTY ) 03A01- 9512- CV- 00434 Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l a nt ) ) ) v. ) HON. J OHN B. HAGLER, ) J UDGE ) ( Si t t i ng by I nt e r c ha nge ) THE ROANE COUNTY TI M ES, I NC. , ) d / b / a THE STANDARD, a nd ) GERALD LARGEN ) ) De f e nda nt s - Appe l l e e s ) AFFI RMED AND REMANDED

J OHN D. KI TCH OF NASHVI LLE a nd GEORGE ALLEN OF GOODLETTSVI LLE FOR APPELLANT

GERALD LARGEN OF KI NGSTON FOR APPELLEES

O P I N I O N

Godda r d, P. J .

Thi s i s a s ui t b y Sc ot t M Cl ue n, Count y At t or ne y f or c

Ro a n e Count y, a ga i ns t The Roa ne Count y Ti me s , I nc . , d/ b/ a The

St a n d a r d, a nd i t s owne r a nd publ i s he r Ge r a l d La r ge n, s e e ki ng

d a ma g e s f or l i be l i nc i de nt t o t wo s e pa r a t e publ i c a t i ons i n The

St a n d a r d. The Tr i a l Cour t di r e c t e d a ve r di c t i n f a vor of t he

De f e n d a nt s a t t he c onc l us i on of t he Pl a i nt i f f ' s pr oof be c a us e M . r

M Cl u e n ha d not s hown t ha t M . La r ge n ma l i c i ous l y publ i s he d t h e c r

ma t e r i a l .

M . M Cl ue n a ppe a l s , i n s i s t i ng t ha t t he Tr i a l Cour t wa s r c

i n e r r or .

By wa y of ba c kgr ound, i t a ppe a r s t ha t pr e vi ous t o t h e

p u b l i c a t i on of t he a r t i c l e s i n que s t i on, M . La r ge n wa s r

i n s t r u me nt a l i n s e c ur i ng t he t e r mi na t i on of M . M Cl ue n' s f a t h e r r c

a s Ch a i r ma n of t he Ha r r i ma n Hos pi t a l Boa r d a nd t ha t M . M Cl ue n r c

h a d b r o ught t o t he a t t e nt i on of t he Count y Commi s s i on i n i t s J u l y

1 2 , 1 9 9 3, me e t i ng t ha t M . La r ge n' s l a w of f i c e e qui pme nt ha d b e e n r

r e mo v e d f r om t he t a x r ol l s , a l t hough he wa s c ont i nui ng i n t he

p r a c t i c e of l a w. I t a l s o a ppe a r s t ha t M . La r ge n t ook e xc e pt i o n r

t o Ro a n e Count y' s i s s ua nc e of $15, 000, 000 i n bonds f or

i mp r o v e me nt of s c hool s wi t hout a r e f e r e ndum whe n a n e a r l i e r

$ 2 0 , 0 0 0 , 000 bond i s s ue , whi c h i nc l ude d c ons ol i da t i on of c e r t a i n

s c h o o l s , ha d be e n de f e a t e d by r e f e r e ndum.

Two s e pa r a t e a c t s - - one by t he Count y a nd one by M . r

M Cl u e n - - pr ompt e d t he publ i c a t i on of t he a r t i c l e s s ue d upon. c In

1 9 8 8 t h e Count y e nt e r e d i nt o a c ont r a c t wi t h I nt e r na t i ona l

M t a l s Compa ny ( I M e CO) , whe r e by I MCO wa s gi ve n a r e duc e d r a t e f o r

i t s u s e of a s ol i d wa s t e s a ni t a r y l a ndf i l l ope r a t e d by t he

Co u n t y . Pa r t of t he c ons i de r a t i on f or t he r e duc e d r a t e wa s t h e

2 t r a n s f e r of 100 a c r e s owne d by I MCO t o t he Count y. Subs e que nt l y

a n d a f t e r t he Count y Budge t Di r e c t or poi nt e d out t ha t t he r a t e

pa i d by I MCO wa s c ons i de r a bl y l e s s t ha n c os t of r e c e i vi ng a nd

p r o c e s s i ng i t s r e f uge , t he Count y a nd I MCO e nt e r e d i nt o a s e c o n d

c o n t r a c t whi c h pur por t e d t o r e s c i nd t he f i r s t a nd, i nt e r a l i a ,

f o r t h e Count y t o r e t ur n t o I MCO a ppr oxi ma t e l y one - ha l f of t he

r e a l e s t a t e pr e vi ous l y t r a ns f e r r e d.

The ot he r a c t p r ompt i ng t he a r t i c l e wa s M . M Cl ue n' s r c

r e p o r t t o t he Commi s s i on wi t h r e ga r d t o M . La r ge n' s t a x s t a t u s r

h e r e i n b e f or e not e d.

The por t i ons of a r t i c l e s i n que s t i on a s s e t out i n t h e

c omp l a i nt a r e a s f ol l ows :

J ul y 14, 1993

Edi t or i a l Comme nt s / Le t t e r s - - The Tr ut h Hur t s

" How e l s e t o e xpl a i n why t hi s gr oup of me n a nd one wo ma n, who we r e e l e c t e d t o l ook a f t e r t he c ount y' s b u s i ne s s a nd p r ot e c t i t s i nt e r e s t s , woul d, a t a me e t i ng t h e pr i ma r y bus i ne s s of whi c h i s , unde r t he s t a t ut e s , t o pa s s a budge t a nd s e t a t a x r a t e , i ns t e a d de vot e mu c h of t he i r me e t i ng not t o t he i r a nd t he pe opl e ' s p r ope r c onc e r ns , but r a t he r t o a ha r a ngue a t t a c ki ng t he p u bl i s he r of t hi s pa p e r f or t e l l i ng t he t r ut h a bout t he m a nd t he i r d e a l wi t h I M CO? "

" Nowhe r e , howe ve r , i n a l l hi s bl e a t i ng a nd br e a s t - b e a t i ng doe s he poi nt out a s i ngl e unt r ut h or a s i ngl e mi s s t a t e me nt of f a c t ; t hi s f or t he r e a s on t ha t our a r t i c l e wa s t r ue , a s he we l l kne w. "

" And a l l hi s br a gga do c i o s wa gge r a nd bl us t e r a bout s u i ng us i s bl a t he r , a s we c oul d de mons t r a t e poi nt by p o i nt , but i t i s our pol i c y ne ve r t o e nga ge i n ba t t l e

3 o f wi t s [ s i c ] wi t h a n una r me d ma n. " ( Br a c ke t e d wor d i n c o mpl a i nt . )

" I t i s , howe ve r , di s t ur bi ng t o f i nd t ha t our c ount y a t t or ne y a nd s i x of our c ommi s s i one r s ha ve not hi ng b e t t e r t o d o t ha n t o t r y t o i nt i mi da t e a c i t i z e n by h a vi ng t he t a x a s s e s s or i nve s t i ga t e hi m, wi t h t he i mpl i e d t hr e a t t ha t hi s t a xe s ought t o be r a i s e d b e c a us e he ha s t ol d t he t r ut h a bout t he m. "

" Thi s s ound l i ke t he da ys of t he Ni xon W t e Hous e a nd hi t h e a t t e mpt e d us e of t he I RS t o i nt i mi da t e t hos e on hi s ' e ne mi e s l i s t . ' "

" I t i s pr oba bl y no c oi nc i de nc e t ha t t he l e a de r s of t he ' g a ng of s i x' we r e t h e s a me one s who s pe a r - he a de d t he e f f or t t o i gnor e a nd a br oga t e t he wi l l of t he pe opl e a s e x pr e s s e d i n a r e f e r e ndum a ga i ns t t he 20 pl us mi l l i on d o l l a r bond i s s ue , a nd who di d i n f a c t put t he pe opl e i n ' bonda ge ' f or s ome 14 mi l l i on dol l a r s , a ga i ns t t he p e opl e ' s wi s he s . "

" Ho we ve r , we wi l l c ont i nue t o t e l l t he t r ut h on M . r M Cl ue n a nd hi s ' ga ng of s i x' a nd t he y ma y r e s t c a s s ur e d, we wi l l not be s i l e nc e d, we wi l l not be i n t i mi da t e d, a nd we wi l l not be f r i ght e ne d by s uc h wi l l - of - t he - wi s ps a s t he s e s e ve n. "

J ul y 21, 1993

The I MCO- - Cha pt e r 2- - Do W St i l l Own Our La nd? e

" W t hi nk t ha t , ha d M . M Cl ue n c ons ul t e d wi t h a e r c l a wye r , he woul d ha ve di s c ove r e d t ha t one of t he r u di me nt a r y e qui t a bl e pr i nc i pl e s a ppl i e d t o a r e s c i s s i on i s t ha t bot h pa r t i e s t o a r e s c i s s i on mus t h a ve r e s t or e d t o t he m t he t hi ngs t he y or r i ght s t he y g a ve up a s c ons i de r a t i on f or t he or i gi na l c ont r a c t . "

" The r e f or e , i t i s obv i ous t ha t t he r e ha s be e n no r e s c i s s i on. The r e ha s be e n a not he r ' s we e t - he a r t ' de a l a t t he e xpe ns e of t he t a xpa ye r s a nd t he ot he r us e r s of t he l a ndf i l l . "

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