Appeals Court: Stories On Cold Spring Cop's Death Were Protected
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled against a man who sued two media organizations over stories that named him as a suspect in a police officer's killing.
Ryan Larson accused Twin Cities television station KARE-TV and the St. Cloud Times of defamation. Larson was arrested on suspicion of murder in the 2012 killing of a Cold Spring police officer, but was never charged.
Larson sued, arguing the news organizations went too far in reporting that authorities suspected him of killing Officer Tom Decker.
A jury sided with the media, but a district judge set that verdict aside and ordered a new trial.
The appeals court reinstated the jury's verdict Monday, saying the "fair-report privilege" protects news reports that accurately summarize or fairly abridge information officially relayed by law enforcement.
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