Story Published:
Mar 12, 2009 at 11:21 AM CST
Story Updated:
Mar 12, 2009 at 11:20 AM CST
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled a legal principle allowing journalists to base their reports on police records protects a newspaper sued over reports it published about an alleged rape. In a unanimous decision, justices ruled Thursday that the "fair
report privilege" covered The Courier newspaper of Russellville.
Ryan Whiteside, named in a report over an alleged rape that occurred at his home, argued the newspaper rushed to publish the story as it involved both him and Kevin Jones. The two men found a beauty queen dead the year before, and Jones was subsequently acquitted of her killing.
A prosecutor later determined that neither Jones nor Whiteside "had any sexual contact" with the alleged victim
