monitor patriot roy argued december decided february new hampshire democratic primary election petitioner newspaper published column characterizing senatorial candidate roy former bootlegger roy elected sued newspaper distributor column libel judge told jury roy candidate public official rule requiring showing article false published knowledge falsity reckless disregard whether false true applied long libel concerned official opposed private conduct jury instructed found libel public sector bring verdict distributor evidence engaged knowing reckless falsehood decide preponderance evidence whether newspaper liable publication private sector two defenses justification article true published lawful occasion conditional privilege article false publication lawful occasion good faith justifiable purpose belief founded reasonable grounds truth matter published jury returned verdict newspaper distributor column state affirmed holding jury properly considered whether alleged libel relevant roy fitness office held publications concerning candidates public office must accorded least much protection first fourteenth amendments concerning occupants public office pp matter constitutional law charge criminal conduct matter remote time place never irrelevant official candidate fitness purposes applying knowing falsehood reckless disregard rule new york times sullivan pp jury erroneously permitted determine criminal charge relevant new york times standard inapplicable stewart delivered opinion burger harlan brennan white marshall blackmun joined white filed concurring opinion post black filed opinion concurring judgment dissenting part douglas joined post edward bennett williams argued cause petitioners briefs harold ungar joseph millimet stanley brown argued cause filed brief respondent justice stewart delivered opinion september three days new hampshire democratic party primary election candidates senate concord monitor daily newspaper concord new hampshire published syndicated column discussing forthcoming election column spoke political maneuvering primary campaign referred criminal records several candidates characterized alphonse roy one candidates former bootlegger roy elected primary subsequently sued monitor patriot north american newspaper alliance nana distributor column libel newspaper nana offered truth primary defense trial evidence presented issue whether roy fact bootlegger prohibition era defendants also alleged published good faith without malice reasonable belief probable truth charge lawful occasion close evidence trial judge instructed jury great length law applied case three possible defenses emerged jury instructions first trial judge told jury roy public official virtue candidacy primary consequence special rule requiring showing article false published knowledge falsity reckless disregard whether false true apply long libel concerned official conduct opposed private conduct distinction elaborated follows probable otherwise publication plaintiff former bootlegger public affair par official conduct public officials trial judge went candidate senate plaintiff within public official concept candidate must surrender public scrutiny discussion much private character affects fitness office anything might touch alphonse roy fitness office senator come within concept official conduct touch upon relevant fitness office candidate rather bringing forward plaintiff long forgotten misconduct public interest private matter private sector supposing publication private sector trial judge instructed jury two possible defenses available newspaper nana first justification prevail jury found article true published lawful occasion second defense conditional privilege prevail even jury found article false also found publication lawful occasion good faith justifiable purpose belief founded reasonable grounds truth matter published jury returned verdict newspaper nana appeal new hampshire affirmed judgment holding trial judge properly sent jury question whether particular libel alleged relevant roy fitness office granted certiorari order consider constitutional issues presented case new york times sullivan held first fourteenth amendments require federal rule prohibits public official recovering damages defamatory falsehood relating official conduct unless proves statement made actual malice knowledge false reckless disregard whether false rule new york times based recognition first amendment guarantee free press inevitably tension state libel laws designed secure society interest protection individual reputation approach new york times identify class person public officials type activity official conduct require defamations respecting particularly high standard liability knowing falsehood reckless disregard truth later cases made clear applicability basic approach limited public office performance official acts matter conventional civil libel suits garrison louisiana curtis publishing butts greenbelt cooperative publishing assn bresler case went jury december decisions new york times garrison curtis greenbelt trial judge instructed jury roy candidate elective public office public official characterization challenged given later cases might preferable categorize candidate public figure reason avoid straining common meaning words question importance far standard liability case concerned abundantly clear whichever term applied publications concerning candidates must accorded least much protection first fourteenth amendments concerning occupants public office new york times intended apply candidates spite use restricted public official terminology readily apparent opinion text citations case law conceded first amendment fashioned assure unfettered interchange ideas bringing political social changes desired people roth hardly doubted constitutional guarantee fullest urgent application precisely conduct campaigns political office ii jury case returned verdicts newspaper nana clear therefore found bootlegger charge private sector since instructed unless found impose liability nana possible made determination concluded charge true unjustified published without lawful occasion event trial judge instructions also free return money verdict found publication false made good faith justifiable purpose belief founded reasonable grounds truth matter published since standard far less stringent knowing falsehood reckless disregard truth judgment must reversed unless shown new york times rule applicable nature libel question cf ocala damron post respondent argues new york times plaintiff special burden proof libels relating official conduct candidate official conduct means conduct relevant fitness office issue one fact jury view however syllogistic manipulation distinctions private sectors public sectors matters fact matters law little utility resolving questions first amendment protection garrison louisiana supra reversed conviction criminal libel man charged group state judges inefficient took excessive vacations opposed official investigations vice possibly subject racketeer influences louisiana held statements criticisms manner one eight judges conducted session rather accusations crime personal attacks upon integrity honesty judges rejected proposed distinction course criticism manner public official performs duties tend affect private well public reputation new york times rule rendered inapplicable merely official private reputation well public reputation harmed rule protects paramount public interest free flow information people concerning public officials servants end anything might touch official fitness office relevant personal attributes germane fitness office dishonesty malfeasance improper motivation even though characteristics may also affect official private character considerations led us thus reformulate official conduct rule new york times terms anything might touch official fitness office apply special force case candidate indeed whatever vitality official conduct concept may retain regard occupants public office cf garrison supra clearly little applicability context election campaign principal activity candidate political system office speak consists putting voters every conceivable aspect public private life thinks may lead electorate gain good impression candidate example seeks cause prominent display wife children hardly argue qualities husband father remain purely private concern candidate vaunts spotless record sterling integrity convincingly cry foul opponent industrious reporter attempts demonstrate contrary test adequate safeguard first amendment guarantees area must go far beyond customary meaning phrase official conduct given realities political life means easy see statements candidate might altogether without relevance fitness office seeks clash reputations staple election campaigns damage reputation course essence libel whether remains exiguous area defamation candidate may full recourse question need decide case trial judge presented issue jury form question probable otherwise publication plaintiff former bootlegger public affair par official conduct public officials instruction others like left jury far leeway act censors consistent protection first fourteenth amendments setting political campaign application traditional concepts tort law conduct political campaign bound raise dangers freedom speech press standard liability example serves admirably essential function imposing objective socially acceptable limit freedom individual act relation others system government chosen afford protection even opinions loathe believe fraught death abrams holmes dissenting community imposed legal liability statements political campaign deemed unreasonable jury abandoned first amendment know likewise preponderance evidence burden proof plays indispensable role control private negligence recognized realm political belief tenets one man may seem rankest error neighbor advocates protect may resort exaggeration vilification men prominent church state even false statement cantwell connecticut simply inconsistent commitment permit imposition liability political speech probably otherwise opinion jury touch upon relevant candidate fitness office cf speiser randall smith california perhaps unavoidable area tension constitution various state laws defamation uncertainty publications protected mental element knowing reckless disregard required new york times test example always easy ascertainment inevitably outer limits marked adjudication true many legal standards judging concrete cases whether standard provided constitution statutes case law amant thompson major case decisive difference liability based standard care liability based judgment relevance past incident criminal conduct official candidate fitness office standard care neutral respect content speech involved free historical taint adjusted strike fair balance interests community free circulation information individuals seeking recompense harm done circulation defamatory falsehood curtis publishing butts supra opinion harlan standard relevance hand especially standard applied jury test unlikely neutral respect content speech holds real danger becoming instrument suppression vehement caustic sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks new york times supra must protected guarantees first fourteenth amendments prevail therefore hold matter constitutional law charge criminal conduct matter remote time place never irrelevant official candidate fitness office purposes application knowing falsehood reckless disregard rule new york times sullivan since jury case permitted make unguided determination charge prior criminal activity relevant new york times standard thus inapplicable judgment must reversed case remanded proceedings inconsistent opinion ordered footnotes trial judge gave jury following definition lawful occasion end attained publication justifiable give useful information right know order may act upon information occasion lawful however merely color lawful occasion defendant instead acting good faith assumes act justifiable end merely pretense publish circulate defamatory matter unlawful purpose liable manner pretense resorted trial judge placed burden showing lawful occasion defendants one citations kansas decision admirably stated case inclusion candidates within rule utmost consequence people discuss character qualifications candidates suffrages importance state society discussions vast advantages derived great inconvenience private persons whose conduct may involved occasional injury reputations individuals must yield public welfare although times injury may great public benefit publicity great chance injury private character small discussion must privileged coleman maclennan commentator writing described ambience follows charges gross incompetence disregard public interest communist sympathies like usually filled air hints bribery embezzlement criminal conduct infrequent actionable defamation possible field one might suppose chief energies courts time every political campaign absorbed libel slander suits noel defamation public officers candidates rev separate opinion justice black justice douglas joins concur judgments case reasons set concurring opinion new york times sullivan concurring dissenting opinion curtis publishing butts justice douglas concurring opinion garrison louisiana however dissent portions opinions case permit libel cases tried different set jury instructions stated time abandon new york times sullivan adopt rule effect first amendment intended leave press free harassment libel judgments curtis publishing butts supra separate opinion black opinion applies also time pape post ocala star banner et al damron post