Partner Jon Buchan was quoted recently in a WBTV article, “Judge Issues, Lifts Restraining Order Preventing WBTV Investigation From Airing.”
Last week a Mecklenburg County judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting WBTV and Reporter David Hodges from airing an investigative story. The story focused on a local towing company’s efforts to tow and, later, sell the car of a soldier deployed to the US border with Mexico.
Buchan represented WBTV and Reporter David Hodges to have the restraining order dissolved in order to air the story.
Buchan argued in his motion, “The Supreme Court has thus rejected efforts to impose prior restraints in various circumstances, and has never upheld such a prohibition on speech based on a claim that publishing false and defamatory statements would cause irreparable harm and justify such a draconian infringement on the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech and of the press.”
“You don’t keep the news media in this country from publishing truthful—or what they believe to be truthful—information in this country,” Buchan said.
Ultimately the Judge signed the order to dissolve the restraining order, allowing WBTV to air the story.
To read the full article, click here.