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.
Libel For Public Figure In Houston
Category:
State:
Multi-State
City:
Houston
Control #:
US-00423BG
Format:
Word;
Rich Text
Instant download
Description
Form popularity
FAQ
Under Texas law, two different degrees of fault must be proven-negligence or malice-depending on whether the claim of defamation is about a public or private person. Damages. The defamation must result in some sort of damage, whether in terms of reputation, business, employment or marketing value.
You can sue for most civil matters in which the amount in controversy is not more than $20,000, exclusive of interest. You cannot ask for a divorce in Justice Court, nor can you sue for slander or defamation, or to recover title to land, or enforce a lien on land.
A plaintiff who is a public official or public figure must prove that you published the statement with “actual malice,” a higher level of fault, while a plaintiff who is a private individual generally must prove that you acted negligently, a lower level of fault.
Defamation of character is when someone spreads lies about you and taints your reputation. Texas law lets you seek compensation for this. If you can show that their untrue statements caused you harm, you might be able to take legal action against the individual or company responsible.
Defamation occurs when one person publishes a false statement that tends to harm the reputation of another person. Written defamation is called libel. Spoken defamation is called slander.
To successfully establish a defamation claim under Texas law, as in most states, one must prove the following key elements: The statement was published. The statement was false, defamatory, and directly related to the plaintiff. The defendant made the defamatory statement either with actual malice or through negligence.
The elements necessary to establish defamation at the workplace include: A false, defamatory statement about an employee. The unauthorized publication or communication of such statement to a third party. Fault on part of the individual who made the statement, either intentional or at least negligent.
Generally, to prove defamation, you must show that a false statement was made, about you, to third parties, and which caused you damage. Once you have evaluated your case, and determined that you can satisfy these elements, you can then proceed with pursuing your matter.
Code § 16.002. Generally, a defamation claim accrues when the defamatory statement is published or circulated. This is known as the “discovery rule.” However, the discovery rule may apply in certain cases, such as when the defamatory statement is inherently undiscoverable or not a matter of public knowledge.
