Weeren v. Evening News Assn.

152 N.W.2d 676, 379 Mich. 475, 1967 Mich. LEXIS 95
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 2, 1967
DocketCalendar 8, Docket 51,384
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 152 N.W.2d 676 (Weeren v. Evening News Assn.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Weeren v. Evening News Assn., 152 N.W.2d 676, 379 Mich. 475, 1967 Mich. LEXIS 95 (Mich. 1967).

Opinions

Black, J.

Like the three Durant Cases1 this is another tort action where summary action below [484]*484lias divided the Court — hopelessly and inconclusively. Again the rock that trisects the stream of judgment is that importation from the Federal system known as accelerated or summary judgment, found in OCR 1963, 116, 117. The supporters of quick and easy riddance of politically troublesome cases will not even recognize' — in fact have steadily ignored since Rules 116 and 117 became effective— what seem to be the supremely controlling pilot-directors of the aforesaid importation, referring specifically to Sonnentheil v. Christian Moerlein Brewing Company, 172 US 401 (19 S Ct 233, 43 L ed 492); Sartor v. Arkansas Natural Gas Corporation, 321 US 620 (64 S Ct 724, 88 L ed 967); Poller v. Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., 368 US 464 (82 S Ct 486, 7 L ed 2d 458); and United States v. Diebold, Inc., 369 US 654 (82 S Ct 993, 8 L ed 2d 176), all having been relied upon in the prevailing opinion of the first Durant Case (374 Mich at 88-91), wherein summary judgment was denied. Meanwhile others acknowledging that the four cited Federal decisions do exist, were unwilling to apply them to the second and third Durant Cases (see Souris, J., 375 Mich at 647-650 and at 666). The curious result was that misfortunate defendants King, Bashara, Merrell and Waldron were held for trial on denial of summary judgment (374 Mich 82) while the more favored defendants McKeehan (374 Mich 93), Van Dusen, Elliott, Romney (375 Mich 628) and Brucker (375 Mich 665) were let out on grant of summary judgment.

All this took place in the same action with all defendants correspondingly charged with a libel of the plaintiff or actionable participation in such libel.2 It must be that Rules 116 and 117, wrought [485]*485supposedly by and upon the Court’s own hammer and anvil, are mighty abstruse when not even 5 Justices can agree upon any dependable guide for application of those rules to actions for tort that are based upon the common law and depend upon testimonial proof and the legal sufficiency of such proof.

Had Professor Rodell been seated here for judg-. ment as the 3 Durant Cases came up, I am sure he would have hatched a cyclic new killy-loo for application of Rules 116 and 117, a legal bird with left- and right wings arranged reversibly so that all flight might go round and about rather than just backward. The reference appears in Williams v. City of Detroit, 364 Mich 231, 276, 277. To quote Rodell again:

“ ‘The law is the killy-loo bird of the sciences. The killy-loo, of course, was the bird that insisted on flying backward because it didn’t care where it was going but was mightily interested in where it had been. And certainly The Law, when it moves at all, does so by flapping clumsily and uncertainly along, with its eye unswervingly glued on what lies behind.’ Rodell, ‘Woe Unto You, Lawyers!’, ch 2, [486]*486p 23, Reynal & Hitchcock, p 20, Pageant Press, Inc., New York City.”

Since submission of this appeal, seven of us have seen and heard the telecast “A Bell for Okinawa.”3 Contrary to probative opinion reached upon reading the cold print of appendix and briefs, that audiovisual review has brought the writer to definite agreement with defense counsel that the telecast discloses no actionable defamation of plaintiff and that Nuyen v. Slater, 372 Mich 654, affirming grant of summary judgment, controls that point as a matter of law. Like the letter written by Mrs. Slater to the State health department, nothing conveyed to eye and ear by the film “defamed plaintiff within the commonly accepted meaning of the word. See 3 Restatement, Torts § 559.” (Souris, J., writing for the majority in Nuyen, p 662).

So much, then, for plaintiff’s claim that he is possessed of a cause for defamation. But another question, not answerable by demonstrative or documentary proof alone, remains for due process test of defendant’s motion for summary judgment. Such question depends for answer upon that which may indeed be proved but yet is not; referring specifically to defendant’s key defense which, under heading “affirmative defenses,” is designated in its answer as paragraph (7). Paragraph 7 reads:

“(7) Plaintiff, while in Germany, acted to preempt the limelight as a public figure, or a celebrity, or a public personage, and, consequently, he lost his right to privacy, since: (i) he himself sought publicity and consented to it, and so he cannot now complain of such publicity; (ii) his personality and affairs already had become public, and these can [487]*487no longer be regarded as Ms own private business; and, (iii) television, in common with the press, has a privilege, guaranteed by the United States and Michigan Constitutions, to inform the public about those who have become legitimate matters of public interest”.4

One need but add that the affirmative defense thus pleaded may — if supported by due proof — turn out to be airtight as a matter of law. On that score see the respective opinions of Curtis Publishing Company v. Butts (Associated Press v. Walker), 388 US 130 (87 S Ct 1975, 18 L ed 2d 1094), so far as such opinions deal with Ceneral Walker’s fully tried case. But the validity of that defense may be rightfully tested only at close of all proofs, and then by motion for an instructed negative verdict as done in both Butts and Walker. As yet it has not received that exact proof-bolster which ever must precede determination of a cause by judicial judgment distinguished from jury verdict.

Upon the procedurally restricted showing now before the Court I hold that plaintiff’s cause as pleaded cannot be tested for legal sufficiency until, in the course of a due and complete trial, both parties have submitted proof for and against the proposition that the defendant telecaster actionably invaded Ms “right to be let alone” by repeating the telecast after having received from plaintiff the latter’s cease and desist letter of May 7, 1958. In such regard we find that plaintiff has alleged in his declaration, and defendant has not denied, that:

“13. Plaintiff immediately, through attorneys, caused a letter to be sent to the defendant requesting that defendant cease and desist from further [488]*488distribution and telecast of said film and advising the defendant that said film was false and defamatory and an invasion .of his right of privacy.
“14. Notwithstanding receipt by defendant of this letter the defendant did again, recklessly and without the knowledge or consent of plaintiff, telecast said film on or about September 2, 1958.”

Thus' far we are referred to nothing, nothing of record at all, which might tend to explain or justify defendant’s going on with the second telecast or, possibly, tend to show an “adequate” investigation, after receipt - of the cease and desist letter, upon strength of which defendant may have become immune legally from plaintiff’s charge of actionable invasion. There may indeed be such an explanation or justification.

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Weeren v. Evening News Assn.
152 N.W.2d 676 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1967)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
152 N.W.2d 676, 379 Mich. 475, 1967 Mich. LEXIS 95, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/weeren-v-evening-news-assn-mich-1967.