# Wynn v. Smith

> Nevada Supreme Court · January 29, 2001 · 117 Nev. 6

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9796526

## Case

- **Full name:** STEPHEN A. WYNN, Appellant, v. JOHN L. SMITH, Respondent; JOHN L. SMITH, Appellant, v. STEPHEN A. WYNN, Respondent; BARRICADE BOOKS, INC., LYLE STUART, Appellants, v. STEPHEN A. WYNN, Respondent
- **Court:** Nevada Supreme Court
- **Decided:** January 29, 2001
- **Citations:** 117 Nev. 6; 117 Nev. Adv. Rep. 2; 16 P.3d 424; 29 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1361; 2001 Nev. LEXIS 1
- **Precedential status:** Published
- **Opinion:** Concurrence by Becker
- **Judges:** Becker
- **Cited by:** 53 later opinions in the Frix Law Library

## Citator (automated)

- No negative treatment found by the automated citator. That is not the same as a confirmation that the case is good law; read the citing cases.
- Full citator and citing cases: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9796526

## How later opinions describe it (automated extraction)

- holding that the fair report privilege extends "to all public, official actions or proceedings" and is not limited to judicial proceedings
- reversing a jury verdict finding actual malice because the jury instructions omitted "serious" before "doubt," leading the jury to apply a lower standard
- explaining the actual malice standard is 3 “required by the U.S. Constitution when the subject of the alleged defamation is a public 4 figure”

## Opinion text

Becker, J.,
concurring:
I agree that the district court improperly instructed the jury on the issue of malice, using the standard set forth in New York Times 1 rather than the standard required by our holdings in Posadas and Allen 2 I write separately to indicate my disagreement with the “serious doubt” standard for invéstigation created by these cases. In my opinion, the standard imposed by the United States Supreme Court in New York Times is the better rule of law.
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964).
Posadas v. City of Reno, 109 Nev. 448 , 851 P.2d 438 (1993); Nevada Independent Boadcasting v. Allen, 99 Nev. 404 , 664 P.2d 337 (1983).

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9796526. Public record. Not legal advice.