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District Court Judge Dismisses Former Carroll Police Officer’s Libel Case Against The Daily Times Herald

A District Court judge has thrown out a case brought by a former Carroll police officer against the Herald Publishing Company, parent company of the Daily Times Herald, and one of its reporters. Jacob Smith filed a petition in July of last year which claimed the newspaper and Jared Strong published a story concerning Smith’s relationship with a 17-year-old high school student on July 18 that was purposefully defamatory in nature. In a filing made Monday afternoon, Second Judicial District Judge, Thomas J. Bice, sustained a motion by the defense requesting a summary judgment. According to Bice, Iowa law clearly indicates “the public has a right for peace officers of character, sobriety, judgement and discretion,” and Strong and the Herald Publishing Company are protected as representatives of a media outlet. Smith’s attorney, Jim Van Dyke, says this ruling means the judge determined the case would not be going to trial, citing freedom of the press. Following the ruling, the case was dismissed.

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