LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by former UCLA player Reeves Nelson against Time Inc., the parent company of Sports Illustrated, and a reporter who wrote a story about problems in the school’s basketball program.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Ann Murphy agreed with attorneys for the media conglomerate and reporter George Dohrmann that the complaint concerning the story that appeared in the magazine’s March 5 print edition, infringed on their clients’ right to free speech. She also found that Dohrmann had numerous sources to back up the facts in his story.
Nelson’s attorney, Olaf Muller, declined to comment. He argued during the hearing that Murphy was incorrect in her finding that Nelson, although a college athlete at the time, was nonetheless a limited public figure who had to demonstrate that Sports Illustrated and Dohrmann acted with malice toward him.
