Constitutional Law

Pa. newspaper cleared of libel for foreclosure stories

By By The Associated Press

STROUDSBURG, Pa. ? A northeastern Pennsylvania newspaper has been cleared of libel allegations stemming from a series of stories investigating foreclosure rates in the Pocono Mountains.

On Oct. 21, a Monroe County jury deliberated for two hours before finding in favor of the Pocono Record of Stroudsburg. Developer Gene Percudani and Raintree Homes sued the paper after it published the series "A Price Too High" in 2001.

Percudani claimed he was falsely portrayed in stories that detailed the use of inflated appraisals for homes sold in the Poconos.

Pocono Record Publisher Joe Vanderhoof said the jury saw that the newspaper shed light on an important issue and explored the possible causes.

He told the newspaper that the jury recognized that the reporting was fair and accurate.

"The jury rightly concluded that the Record shouldn't be punished for having taken the lead in exposing and investigating the abnormally high rates of foreclosure in Monroe County, and the possible causes," the newspaper reported Vanderhoof as saying. "We are proud of having published this award-winning series that informed our readers about a critical public issue."

Percudani's attorney had said the stories were presented in a way that made it appear his client was the target of allegations against others.

Full post as published by First Amendment Center on October 24, 2010 (boomark / email).