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.
Slander For Libel In Collin
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State:
Multi-State
County:
Collin
Control #:
US-00423BG
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Word;
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Libel: Libel is a defamation that is written, such as in a newspaper, magazine or on the internet. Slander, on the other hand, is a defamatory statement spread through speech.Proving libel or slander requires the same elements as broader defamation. 4) You are suing for defamation, libel, or slander (things the defendant has said or published about you that you believe to be false and harmful). Statute of Limitations in New York Defamation Cases. There is a statute of limitations for making a slander and libel suit for defamation in the New York court. State laws often define defamation in specific ways. Libel is a written defamation; slander is a spoken defamation. To have a successful defamation lawsuit, you must show the defendant made a defamatory statement that harmed your reputation. Written defamation is called libel.
