Pauling’s

Libel Bid Tossed Out

NEW YORK (UPI) — State
Supreme Court Justice Samu-
el J. Silverman Tuesday
threw out Nobel prize winner
Linus Pauling’s $1 million li-
bel action against William F.
jBuckley Jr., editor of the
)\magazine National Review.
1| Pauling had based his com-
t|plaint on two articles in the
National Review, one of which
;|had referred to him as a ‘‘fel-
|low-traveler.””

Silverman based his deci-
sion on a U.S. Supreme Court
ruling which held that public
officials are limited in recov-
ering damages for libel unless
they can prove actual malice
or reckless disregard of the
truth. In ‘effect, he extended
the ruling to cover public fig-
ures as well as public offi-
cials.
| “It is clear that, if any
private citizen has, by his con-
duct, made himself a public
‘figure engaged voluntarily in
public discussion of matters cf
grave public concern and
controversy, Dr. Pauling has
done so,” Silverman said in
his 13-page decision.

 

of the National Review arti-
cle, Silverman found Pauling
had failed to prove that there
had been reckless disregard of
whether the article was false
or not,

Silverman said Pauling had
rights.”

doing he also limited his legal
remedies for any claimed libel

 

  

 

Without ruling on the truth,

“acted well within his. legal).

“I merely hold that by so

 

of his reputation,” the “ep

pn ste fod

    

$1 Million

 

Buckley hailed the ruling as
a victory. Pauling declined to:
comment. His lawyer said it
was not yet decided whether
to appeal the decision. |