Constitutional Law

Ga. court hears arguments in Olympic bombing libel case

By By The Associated Press

ATLANTA — The Georgia Court of Appeals has heard arguments in a lawsuit by the estate of Richard Jewell over newspaper coverage of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing.

The estate is continuing to press the late security guard's claims against The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

At issue are stories in which the newspaper reported that authorities suspected Jewell of planting the Olympic park bomb and believed he made a 911 call warning of an impending bombing.

Jewell was cleared of the bombing, which killed one person and injured more than 100.

Attorney L. Lin Wood Jr. told Court of Appeals judges on Feb. 9 that statements in the newspaper's articles were false.

The newspaper's attorney, Peter Canfield, said guilt or innocence was not the issue because the AJC was reporting on the investigation, something newspapers have the privilege to do.

Full post as published by First Amendment Center on February 10, 2011 (boomark / email).