What is Libel?
Libel is a specific type of defamation that occurs in a preserved medium. This can include defamatory statements made in writing or other print methods or statements made during a recorded broadcast. Because the public often receives libelous statements through newspapers or television broadcasts, they can be especially harmful. Individuals who are the subject of libelous statements often face backlash in their communities that can affect them and their loved ones both socially and professionally.
For an individual who has suffered due to untrue and damaging statements regarding his or her personal or professional character, a Virginia libel attorney may be able to help. Virginia libel attorneys can pursue compensation on behalf of their injured clients, including special damages for provable expenses resulting from a libelous statement, general damages for harm to reputation and other intangible injuries, and in some cases punitive damages designed to punish the offending party for its egregious conduct. Occasionally, these awards can be quite substantial.
What is not libel?
Not every damaging print or broadcast statement, however, is libel. Statements that are true are not actionable under Virginia libel laws, regardless of how damaging they may be. Statements in official documents such as court transcripts are also usually not actionable libel. Moreover, a news outlet is not liable for accurately reporting such statements.
Statements of opinion regarding public figures also do not usually qualify as libel. This can include vague or unverifiable statements, political statements, or satire. In the context of public figures, news outlets may have protection from liability even for untrue and injurious statements, so long as the outlet did not report those statements with actual malice. This means that the outlet did not have actual knowledge of the falsity of the report and did not proceed with reckless disregard for the truth.
What is and is not libel is a complicated issue that takes into account many factors, including the identities of the parties and the context surrounding the allegedly libelous statement. For these reasons, an individual who feels he or she has been the victim of libel should promptly consult a libel lawyer in Virginia. Libel lawyers can use their knowledge and experience to determine whether damaging statements are in fact actionable under Virginia libel laws.
Contact a lawyer with proven experience in libel cases
The law firm of Jeremiah A. Denton, III, P.C. is a civil litigation firm that focuses its practice on defamation, sexual harassment, and legal malpractice claims. With over 50 years of combined experience, their attorneys represent plaintiffs throughout eastern Virginia. Their offices are located at Pinehurst Centre, 447 Viking Drive, Suite 100 in Virginia Beach, VA 23452. They are available by phone at 757-215-4818 or through their online contact page.
New Jersey Civil Rights Lawsuit Awards Ramapo Family $2.1 Million
As citizens of the United States, we have certain rights. New Jersey civil rights law also governs many of these rights. Violation of these valued rights and freedoms can result in a significant monetary judgment against the offending party or parties. In certain cases, both criminal and civil charges can be brought against offenders of basic human rights. A New Jersey civil rights lawyer can explain how the civil rights law may apply to each situation.
Overview of case
A recent civil case involving a Ramapo town worker who was killed by a New Jersey park police officer awarded the family of the deceased $2.1 million. The jury in the civil case found that the police officer used unnecessary force when he shot and killed the worker who was attending a barbecue along with other members of the Ramapough Lenape Indian tribe. The killing of the man occurred during a confrontation with park police who were attempting to enforce a law prohibiting the use of ATVs in the park. The death resulted in criminal charges, and eventually relatives of the dead man also filed a racial discrimination lawsuit.
Verdict of criminal trial
Criminal charges were brought against the officer who shot and killed the victim at the confrontation outside Ringwood State Park where the victim and other tribe members had gathered to celebrate. At the criminal trial, the police officer claimed he shot the victim in self-defense. The jury acquitted the officer of the criminal charges.
The family of the deceased then brought a lawsuit under New Jersey civil rights law against New Jersey and the park police. In a civil trial, the standard of evidence is less than that of a criminal trial. The outcome of this trial was in favor of the victim’s relatives and the civil court jury awarded damages.
If you have questions about civil rights in New Jersey, or if you believe you have been the victim of discrimination, speak to a skilled New Jersey civil rights attorney.
New Birth and Eddie Long Try Recouping Settlement Cash
Three men who had reached a monetary settlement worth at least $1.5 million with a pastor they had accused of sexual improprieties, may have to return a portion of the settlement for breaching the confidentiality provision of their agreement.
Christian Boone of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote in “Eddie Long, New Birth seek to recoup settlement money,” that three of the five men who had accused Mr. Long, a pastor in the Atlanta-based New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, of sexual coercion, had apparently spoken out in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution despite their contractual promise to remain silent.
Attorneys for Eddie Long and the church sent a letter to the three men, Jamal Parris, Spencer LeGrande and Centino Kemp, alleging that they had breached the provision of the settlement agreement in which they promised not to talk about their allegations or of the settlement, and that they must return at least $900,000 of the settlement funds.
The men’s allegations of sexual coercion involving Eddie Long, occurred over several years with Pastor Long allegedly having used church funds to buy the men expensive gifts and then coercing them into a sexual relationship once they reached the age of consent.
Although a court battle is expected, the men admitted they knew their disclosures would jeopardize the settlement, but Spencer LeGrande said that the money was incidental to the emotional harm he suffered.
He and Jamal Parris plan to write a book about their experiences with Pastor Long. A legal expert commented that Georgia courts take confidentiality agreements seriously although he would not speculate on whether the courts would force the men to return a portion of their settlement.
Information in this post gathered in association with Asbestos Information.