Article Subject: Prisoner who placed online ad must prove actual malice

Article Link: http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/index.php?i=11718

Article Rating: 3.0 (out of 5)

Website: Inmate Connections

Dr. Dato’s Brief:

This story is heating up with another more detailed report here by rcfp.org (the reporters committee for freedom of the press) of the post I highlight last time.

Basically, the legal issue concerns LaChance who accused Boston Herald of defamation of character and misrepresentation in an article about his profile on an online dating site called Inmate Connections. The Judge ruled that there was no admissible evidence that Herald had any malicious intent with the information provided at that time. In any case, the plaintiff (LaChance) had in fact skewed the details of his profile to make his criminal sentence appear more ‘light’ which sparked off the articles written by Herald.

Boston Herald won the case.

legal complications with a plaintiff accusing of defamation in dating profile