Public Disclosure of Private Facts Self-Quiz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Rambo, a high profile retired army vet, dies leaving behind five children. In his will, he leaves his estate to his four youngest children but disinherits his eldest son John Jr. About his eldest son, Rambo writes in his will “that son of mine is good for nothing. His wife even left him because he couldn’t satisfy her. Somebody who can’t even perform as a man will never inherit a dime from me.” Three days after the will is probated, Murdock, a reporter for the newspaper for the university that John Jr. attends, publishes an article claiming that John Jr. is impotent. In an action against Murdock for invasion of privacy, John Jr. will:
Choice 1 Win, because John’s impotency is a highly private fact
Choice 2 Win, because no legitimate public interest was served by the disclosure
Choice 3 Lose, because the will was probated before the article was published
Choice 4 Lose, because the claim of impotency was true
John has been married to Jackie for over twenty years. During that time, John has been having an ongoing affair with Marilyn. John’s best friend Bobby is the only one who knows about the affair. Bobby, after getting into a fight with John, tells several of his friends about John’s infidelity. As a result of Bobby’s actions, Jackie divorces John and several of John’s friends stop associating with him. In an action against Bobby, John will probably:
Choice 1 Recover for invasion of privacy and defamation
Choice 2 Recover for invasion of privacy but not for defamation
Choice 3 Recover for defamation but not for invasion of privacy
Choice 4 Not recover at all

George has announced that he is running for president. During a biter campaign, Al tells some reporters that George takes pills three times a day to fight off debilitating headaches. When this information is reported, many voters stop supporting George and, as a result, George loses the election. In an action against Al, George will most likely:
Choice 1 Win, because Al divulged private information
Choice 2 Win, because Al caused George to lose the election
Choice 3 Lose, because George is running for president
Choice 4 Lose, because George is a public figure

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