Byers v. Edmondson
Louisiana Court of Appeal
712 So. 2d 681 (1998)
- Written by Sarah Holley, JD
Facts
Sarah Edmonson and Benjamin Darrus shot and seriously wounded Patsy Byers (plaintiff) while robbing a convenience store after watching the film Natural Born Killers. Byers sued the companies responsible for the production and distribution of Natural Born Killers (the film companies) (defendants), arguing the film companies were liable for producing and distributing a film the companies knew or should have known would cause and inspire people to commit crimes such as the shooting of Byers, and that glorified the kind of violence committed against Byers. The film companies filed a peremptory exception raising the objection of no cause of action. Specifically, the film companies argued the companies owed no duty to Byers to ensure that none of the viewers of the film would decide to imitate the actions depicted therein. The film companies further asserted that imposition of such a duty would violate the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The trial court granted the peremptory exception, finding the law did not recognize a cause of action as that presented in Byers’s petition, and dismissed Byers’s claims against the film companies. Byers appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Carter, J.)
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