Defamation - The Indiana Lawyer

Lawyers attack memo, say Hill considering defamation lawsuit

July 18, 2018

Repeatedly claiming “false and malicious” statements were included in a confidential memo containing allegations of sexual misconduct by Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, Indianapolis attorney Kevin Betz announced he is preparing a defamation lawsuit on the AG’s behalf. Betz and his law partner Sandra Blevins held a press conference Wednesday in the lobby of their Indianapolis law firm, Betz & Blevins, to announce the possible suit.

Justices let ruling stand that reserves right to request misdemeanor juries to defendants

June 12, 2018

An Indiana Court of Appeals ruling that reserved the right to demand a jury trial in misdemeanor cases to defendants has been upheld after the Indiana Supreme Court declined to hear the state’s challenge to that ruling.

Ex-Notre Dame coach Holtz settles Daily Beast defamation suit

May 22, 2018

Attorneys for Lou Holtz say the former Notre Dame football coach and the news website The Daily Beast have settled a defamation lawsuit filed by the ex-ESPN analyst and college football Hall of Famer.

Court: Trump can’t delay “Apprentice” defamation suit

May 17, 2018

A New York court ruled Thursday that former “Apprentice” contestant Summer Zervos can proceed with her defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump, at least for now. Trump’s lawyers had asked to put the case on ice until appeals judges decide whether to dismiss it or postpone it until after his presidency.

IndyBar: Social Media, Family Law and Defamation

May 15, 2018

Facebook posts have long served as a treasure trove of evidence for family law attorneys, especially before Facebook allowed you to change your privacy settings. Under the recently published Zerlie Charles v. Vickie D. Vest, 72A01-1706-SC-01252, the Court of Appeals held that certain Facebook posts meet the definition of defamation per se.

Court reverses doctor’s $1M defamation award against CVS

May 10, 2018

An Indianapolis doctor awarded $1.025 million in defamation damages against CVS after a federal jury trial lost it all Thursday when the 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision. The panel ordered a new trial on greatly reduced claims for damages.

Indiana Transportation Museum sues Noblesville, Fishers, Hamilton County

May 7, 2018

The Indiana Transportation Museum has filed two lawsuits against Hamilton County government officials, including one that alleges Noblesville is planning to evict the museum from Forest Park by June 1 to seize the museum’s equipment.

Fort Wayne police allege slander, defamation in countersuit

May 2, 2018

Four Fort Wayne police officers are alleging slander and defamation by a black probation officer accusing them of violating her constitutional rights.

Legal battle between Southport official, police chief to continue

March 28, 2018

A politically charged legal battle between the Southport police chief and a city council member will continue after a district court judge partially denied the city’s and chief’s partial motions for judgment on the pleadings.

Supreme Court takes RV dealer’s tax case

January 17, 2018

An Indiana case dealing with out-of-state tax issues will come before the Indiana Supreme Court after the justices unanimously granted review to a dispute between the Indiana Department of State Revenue and a Hoosier RV dealer.

Trump lawyer sues BuzzFeed for publishing Russia dossier

January 10, 2018

The longtime personal lawyer for President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against BuzzFeed for publishing an unverified dossier of allegations about Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia.

COA affirms defamation verdict but tosses punitive damages

December 28, 2017

The Indiana Court of Appeals deconstructed a tangle of lawsuits erupting over allegations of theft of more than $1 million from a home building company and ruled that although the accused was found to have breached his fiduciary duty and wrongly taken money, he was still defamed by his accuser.

Reversal: Facebook post is defamation, merits damages

October 24, 2017

A southern Indiana woman who lashed out at her late boyfriend’s mother on Facebook must pay the consequences, which the Indiana Court of Appeals said Tuesday include monetary damages.

Court only corrects ‘immaterial’ errors in opinion on rehearing

October 6, 2017

After granting rehearing to an August opinion to correct “immaterial factual errors,” the Indiana Court of Appeals reaffirmed a decision that upheld allegedly defamatory statements made by an attorney were protected.

Court reinstates lawsuit over debunked Rolling Stone story

September 19, 2017

A defamation lawsuit against Rolling Stone over the magazine's debunked article about a University of Virginia gang rape was reinstated Tuesday by an appeals court in a manner that one judge says would allow any member of a school fraternity to join the lawsuit.

Judge’s order calls out lawyer who accused magistrate judge of bias

September 12, 2017

An Indianapolis lawyer representing a disabled former student in a lawsuit against Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology was referred for a refresher course on legal ethics by a federal judge.

Engineer who claimed city defamed his firm loses on appeal

August 22, 2017

An engineer who claimed Lawrenceburg officials defamed him and his company by alleging overcharges for shoddy work got no help from the Indiana Court of Appeals Tuesday.

Challenged statements protected by absolute privilege, COA affirms

August 9, 2017

The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed partial summary judgment for an Indianapolis law firm in a defamation case, finding the challenged statements made by the firm were protected by absolute privilege.

Actor James Woods seeks dismissal of suit over retweet

August 9, 2017

Actor James Woods is asking a court to dismiss an Ohio activist’s defamation lawsuit against him over a comment he retweeted during the presidential campaign season.

Divided COA rules campaign flyer was protected speech

July 5, 2017

Summary judgment in a political defamation suit has been affirmed after a divided Indiana Court of Appeals decided Wednesday that language included on a campaign flyer is considered protected speech under the Anti-SLAAP statute.

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