A form of publication which tends to cause one to lose the esteem of the community is defamation. This is injury to reputation. A person can be held liable for the defamation of another. In order to prove defamation, the plaintiff must prove:
- that a statement was made about the plaintiff's reputation, honesty or integrity that is not true;
- publication to a third party (i.e., another person hears or reads the statement); and
- the plaintiff suffers damages as a result of the statement.
Slander is a form of defamation that consists of making false oral statements about a person which would damage that person's reputation. If one spreads a rumor that his neighbor has been in jail and this is not true, the person making such false statements could be held liable for slander.
Defamation which occurs by written statements is known as libel. Libel also may result from a picture or visual representation. Truth is an absolute defense to slander or libel.
Some statements, while libelous or slanderous, are absolutely privileged in the sense that the statements can be made without fear of a lawsuit for slander. The best example is statements made in a court of law. An untrue statement made about a person in court which damages that person's reputation will generally not cause liability to the speaker as far as slander is concerned. However, if the statement is untrue, the person making it may be liable for criminal perjury.
If a communication is made in good faith on a subject in which the party communicating it has a legitimate right or interest in communicating it, this communication may be exempt from slander liability due to a qualified privileged.
The following form letter demands that someone cease making libelous or slanderous statements, or appropriate legal action will be taken.
The Legal Definition For Defamation In California
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In California, a claim for defamation involves a false statement made by one person about another person, which causes harm to a person's property, business, profession or occupation.
The plaintiff must show that the false statement was so inherently defamatory that it falls into one of California's nine types of defamation per se or prove that they experienced damages to their reputation as a result of the statement.
Defamation Per Se Under California Defamation Law In most California slander and libel cases, plaintiffs must prove how the communications under review caused material harm — except in per se lawsuits. A statement is considered defamatory per se if harm to the victim is inherent.
The most common defenses to defamation are: 1) truth; 2) consent; 3) privilege; and 4) the statute of limitations. Perhaps the most distinct aspect of the defamation cause of action is that falsity is required. In other words, the statement publicized about the plaintiff must be false in order to prove defamation.
In pleading defamation, a plaintiff should allege (a) a publication, (b) that the published statement is false, (c) that the published statement is defamatory, (d) that the published statement is not privileged or was motivated by malice and (e) that the statement has a natural tendency to injure, or caused special ...
Truth, or substantial truth, is a complete defense to a claim of defamation.
Defamation is a legal right provided by California statute. See California Civil Code §§ 44, 45a and 46. Generally, it is a false statement of fact that is harmful to the person's reputation, is published, and is read or heard by someone other than the person being talked about.
Current through the 2023 Legislative Session. Slander is a false and unprivileged publication, orally uttered, and also communications by radio or any mechanical or other means which: 1.
In pleading defamation, a plaintiff should allege (a) a publication, (b) that the published statement is false, (c) that the published statement is defamatory, (d) that the published statement is not privileged or was motivated by malice and (e) that the statement has a natural tendency to injure, or caused special ...
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Under California law, defamation is a broad term for false statements that damage your good standing. If a statement is made verbally, it is slander.Defamation is a false and unprivileged statement of fact that is harmful to someone's reputation that is published negligently or maliciously. Defamation is the actual word to describe a communication ("publication" is the legal term) that is untrue and harms another person. See California Civil Code §§ 44, 45a and 46. Defamation is a false statement of fact with a defamatory meaning published to others that causes harm to a person's reputation. Defamation is a form of speech that is unprotected because it does more harm than good.
