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Torts Keyed to Franklin
The Florida Star v. B.J.F.
Citation:
491 U.S. 524, 109 S.Ct. 2603, 105 L.Ed.2d 443 (1989)Facts
The Florida Star is a newspaper that circulates about 18,000 copies per week. A regular feature in the newspaper is its “Police Reports” section, which briefly lists local criminal incidents under police investigation.
After B.J.F. reported her robbery and sexual assault by an unknown assailant, the police department prepared a report with B.J.F.’s full name and placed the report in its publicly accessible press room.
A Florida Star reporter-trainee copied the report verbatim and prepared a one-paragraph article about the crime under its “Robbery” tab, including B.J.F.’s full name. The publication of B.J.F.’s full name was in violation of The Florida Star’s own policy not to publish the names of sexual offense victims.
B.J.F. sued the newspaper and police department.
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