Dismissal of Libel Award Voided
A U.S. Court of Appeals panel ruled today that a federal judge erred in 1983 when he reversed a jury’s award of $2 million in damages in the libel suit of the president of Mobil Oil Corp. against the Washington Post.
The three-member panel concluded that the plaintiff, William Tavoulareas, established “actual malice” on the part of the newspaper and its reporter, Patrick Tyler, in a 1979 article about the oil company executive’s business dealings. The court reversed the decision by U.S. District Judge Oliver Gasch and remanded the case for further proceedings.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.