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.
Defamation Legal Definition With Citation In Sacramento
Category:
State:
Multi-State
County:
Sacramento
Control #:
US-00423BG
Format:
Word;
Rich Text
Instant download
Description
Form popularity
FAQ
Truth, or substantial truth, is a complete defense to a claim of defamation.
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.
In California, you must prove five elements to establish a defamation claim: An intentional publication of a statement of fact; That is false; That is unprivileged; That has a natural tendency to injure or causes “special damage;” and, The defendant's fault in publishing the statement amounted to at least negligence.
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.
Generally, to win a defamation lawsuit, you must prove that: Someone made a statement; The statement was published; The statement caused your injury; The statement was false; and. The statement did not fall into a privileged category.
A person who wishes to take legal action for defamation must be able to prove that they have suffered, or could suffer, 'serious harm'. If a corporation is suing for defamation, it needs to prove that it has suffered 'serious financial loss' as a result of the publication of the allegedly defamatory matter.
Truth is the first, and easiest, defense to a defamation claim. As discussed in the elements of defamation, the statement about you must have been false. If a Defendant can show that the statements were true, or even substantially true, then they could defeat a claim for defamation.
Defamation is any false information that harms the reputation of a person, business, or organization. Defamation includes both libel and slander.
California defamation law defines defamation of character as the publishing of a false statement to a third party that results in harm to another person's reputation and good standing. The heart of a valid California defamation claim hinges on whether the published statement caused damage to another's reputation.
More info
Defamation is a false and unprivileged statement of fact that is harmful to someone's reputation that is published negligently or maliciously. 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" describes any statement that harms a person's reputation to the the extent that it lowers the person in the eyes of the community. Defamation is a statement that injures a third party's reputation. The laws of defamation are divided into two distinct categories: libel and slander. Libel is defined as written defamation. Defamation consists of libel and slander.
