Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn

Controversies arise about the publication of a crime victim's name in the print and broadcast media every day.

State laws may prohibit the publication of crime victims' names as a means of protecting individual privacy. They may address print and broadcast media. A statute may even allow for sanctions against the offending party if the law is violated. Individuals seeking redress under such statutes assert a violation of their privacy rights.

The First and Fourteenth Amendment, however, prevent the imposition of such restrictions and fines when the information has been obtained from public records, for example, from court proceedings. As with other issues regarding the maintenance of a spirited press, the Supreme Court supports publication of information obtained from public records, over individuals' privacy rights.