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 Fort Worth In Virginia
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In Virginia, slander and libel are treated the same under the law. A lawsuit can be filed against a person who makes an actionable statement.417. Slander and libel. A plaintiff in a Virginia defamation action must plead the statement with particularity, identifying the exact words claimed to be defamatory. You can go directly to the Magistrate's office in the county where you live and file a complaint. A general summary of defamation and the steps that should be taken if you have been slandered or defamed is as follows: Lawyers who handle libel lawsuits and slander lawsuits know how to spot lies, and know the information you will need to prove the liar intended to hurt you. This is the complete guide to Virginia Defamation Law. To prove defamation in Virginia, you must show that the statement made was false and that it harmed your reputation. I had thought that criminal libel laws, which apparently still exist in about onethird of the states, were nonetheless almost never used.
