The Herald’s Legal Victory
A landmark criminal libel trial in Aberdeen concludes with an acquittal, sparking a debate over the role of the press in public accountability.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The action for criminal libel, brought against the editor of the Herald upon the complaint of Alanson D. Wood, for an article published in the Herald on June 2, 1892, criticizing the actions of the board of directors of school district number five, was tried in the superior court last week, and a verdict of not guilty returned. The action was probably the first criminal libel suit ever brought in the county, and the prosecution certainly did everything in its power to secure a conviction. The court instructed the jury that journalists have a right, and it is their duty, to comment upon and criticize the acts of public officers if those acts have the appearance of being dishonest or corrupt, provided the comments are substantially true. The Herald is satisfied with the result, and so is almost every taxpayer in the district.
“Journalists have a right, and it is their duty, to comment upon and criticise the acts of public officers if the acts of such officers have the appearance of being dishonest or corrupt.”
This 1892 case established a precedent for press freedom in Chehalis County, emphasizing the right to hold school officials accountable. It reflects the ongoing tension between public transparency and the threat of litigation against local investigative reporting.
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