defamation

125 cases — ← All topics

Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
25A807 Dewayne Bulls v. FBI, et al. Third Circuit 2026-01-12 Application court-access defamation due-process executive-overreach first-amendment judicial-fabrication Question not identified.
25-789 Angela Kay Plese v. Ronald Austin, et al. Tennessee 2026-01-06 Pending civil-liability constitutional-law defamation first-amendment free-speech reputational-harm Whether the First Amendment allows a plaintiff who suffers no reputational harm to recover for defamation.
25-770 Alan M. Dershowitz v. Cable News Network, Inc. Eleventh Circuit 2025-12-31 Pending Response Waived actual-malice circuit-split defamation first-amendment media-liability summary-judgment As the District Court explained, "Of course, Dershowitz said nothing of the kind[.]" App. 71a. The court was referring to how CNN defamed Professor Al…
25-507 Chang Y. Aiona, V. v. County of Hawaii, Hawaii, et al. Hawaii 2025-10-23 Denied defamation first-amendment legal-precedent milkovich-standard opinion-exception public-interest Whether the "opinion" exception can be extended to a private, non-public interest, defamation lawsuit in violation of the Court's decision Milkovich v…
25-295 WG/Welch Mechanical Contractors, LLC v. International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail & Transportation Workers, Local Union 100 - Sheet Metal Division, et al. Fourth Circuit 2025-09-15 Denied Response Waived civil-procedure defamation first-amendment malicious-speech pleading-standard subjective-intent Whether a plaintiff in a malicious defamation claim must plead facts revealing a defendant's subjective state of mind or if a plausible allegation of …
25-281 Patrick Byrne v. US Dominion, Inc., et al. District of Columbia 2025-09-10 Denied Response Waived constitutional-rights counsel-of-choice defamation due-process fifth-amendment protective-order Whether a District Court erred in disqualifying counsel of choice in a civil defamation case for violating a protective order by reporting potential c…
25-268 Alex Emric Jones, et al. v. Erica Lafferty, et al. Connecticut 2025-09-09 Denied Response Waived administrative-sanction constitutional-review defamation first-amendment media-liability public-figure Whether a state court may impose a punitive administrative Death Penalty Sanction against a media defendant reporting on a matter of public concern th…
25A250 Donald J. Trump, President of the United States v. E. Jean Carroll Second Circuit 2025-09-02 Presumed Complete defamation federal-tort-claims-act issue-preclusion presidential-immunity scope-of-employment westfall-act Whether a former president can be held liable for defamatory statements made about a public accusation while serving in office, and the proper standar…
25-232 King Vanga v. Priscilla N. Juarez, et al. California 2025-08-28 Denied constitutional-law defamation false-statement first-amendment opinion-speech third-party-attribution Whether the First Amendment protects a verifiably false factual statement as an opinion based on disclosed facts simply because the statement republis…
25-136 Francis Palardy v. AT&T Services Inc., et al. Texas 2025-08-05 Denied americans-with-disabilities-act defamation disability-discrimination equal-protection supremacy-clause tester-litigation Whether state courts may disregard the Americans with Disabilities Act when adjudicating defamation claims involving disability-related conduct, in vi…
25-115 Monica Miller, et al. v. Letitia James, Individually and in Her Official Capacity as Attorney General of New York Second Circuit 2025-07-30 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) civil-rights defamation first-amendment free-speech reputational-harm standing Do Petitioners have standing to challenge the Attorney General's statements and are those statements protected by the First Amendment when they allege…
24-1320 Centerline Logistics Corporation, et al. v. Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific, et al. California 2025-06-27 Denied Response Waived actual-malice anti-SLAPP defamation due-process first-amendment jury-trial Whether the Supreme Court should overturn the actual malice standard from New York Times v. Sullivan and whether anti-SLAPP statutes violate the Seven…
24-1243 Tri-Corp Housing, Inc. v. Robert Bauman Wisconsin 2025-06-05 Denied Response Waived actual-malice defamation jury-trial legal-standard public-figure wisconsin-supreme-court When is a claimant an 'involuntary public figure' within the meaning of Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., and must the question of whether a party claiming…
24-7287 Anthony Michael Branch v. Aidan T. Kearney, et al. Massachusetts 2025-05-27 Denied IFP actual-malice defamation media-publications public-figure summary-judgment Whether a private individual who becomes the subject of defamatory online publications may be designated a 'limited-purpose public figure' based solel…
24-6650 Abdullah Sall v. Sarah Fair George, et al. Second Circuit 2025-02-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights conspiracy defamation discrimination statute-of-limitations summary-judgment Whether the District Court abused its discretion by applying improper legal standards and hastily resorting to summary judgment to deny a claim of con…
24-829 Steve Wynn v. The Associated Press, et al. Nevada 2025-02-04 Denied Amici (1)Response Waived actual-malice anti-SLAPP defamation first-amendment public-figure seventh-amendment Whether the Supreme Court should overturn the actual-malice standard for public figure defamation plaintiffs and whether applying this standard in ant…
24-6429 Robert Michael Kuczewski v. Robin Marien, et al. California 2025-01-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP defamation first-amendment free-speech government-speech limited-purpose-public-figure public-interest Whether the standard for classifying limited purpose public figures and the scope of defamation liability for republishing official government documen…
24A508 Steve Wynn v. The Associated Press, et al. Nevada 2024-11-22 Presumed Complete actual-malice anti-slapp defamation first-amendment jury-trial new-york-times-v-sullivan Whether the First Amendment's actual malice standard under New York Times v. Sullivan improperly limits a public figure's right to a civil jury trial …
24-543 Nili N. Alai v. Law Offices of Mark B. Plummer, P.C., et al. California 2024-11-14 Denied actual-malice defamation due-process first-amendment public-figure res-judicata Whether a state court's application of res judicata to deem an appeal moot based on another defendant's appeal violates the Due Process Clause of the …
24-5917 Myrna De Jesus v. Dignity Health Corporation Ninth Circuit 2024-11-05 Denied Relisted (2)IFP actual-malice defamation private-citizen publication qualified-immunity slander-per-se Whether the concepts of actual malice and excessive publication are required elements of defamation slander per se for a private citizen to prove that…
24A144 Frank McKenna v. Dillon Transportation, LLC Sixth Circuit 2024-08-07 Presumed Complete consumer-reports defamation employment-records fair-credit-reporting-act preemption truck-driver Whether the Fair Credit Reporting Act preempts state law defamation claims arising from employment-related consumer reports about truck drivers
23-1328 Yuval Golan v. Daily News, L.P., et al. New York 2024-06-20 Denied Response Waived anti-slapp constitutional-rights defamation first-amendment jury-trial public-figure public-figures seventh-amendment Is the New York anti-SLAPP statute unconstitutional?
23-1303 Craig Malin v. Lee Enterprises, Inc., et al. Iowa 2024-06-13 Denied actual-malice civil-rights defamation due-process first-amendment free-speech jury-trial publication-law summary-judgment Does grant of summary judgment to Respondent Lee Enterprises conflict with requirements for a jury trial per Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S.…
23-1223 Jennifer L. Cooper, et al. v. US Dominion, Inc., et al. Tenth Circuit 2024-05-20 Denied Response Waived article-iii-standing cease-and-desist civil-rights defamation due-process equal-protection free-speech precedential-opinion standing Whether recipients of a cease-and-desist letter have Article III standing
23-7497 In Re Olamide O. Bello 2024-05-16 Denied IFP civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-procedure defamation due-process federal-release first-amendment free-speech government-liability retaliation speech-restriction Whether a company's comments with customers on and for redress of grievances are protected under the First Amendment and Article 16 of the Declaration…
23-6582 Joseph Emerson v. United States District Court, et al. Ohio 2024-01-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights court-corruption defamation due-process employment-discrimination extraordinary-writ favoritism interstate-dispute judicial-misconduct nepotism standing Whether the petitioner's constitutional rights were violated by the dismissal of his cases by the Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy, who…
23-671 Byron Johnson v. Kaija Freborg Minnesota 2023-12-21 Denied Response Waived defamation first-amendment online-speech private-figure public-concern sexual-assault Whether a private figure's online accusation of sexual assault by another private figure is a 'matter of public concern' under the First Amendment
23A543 Mischa Shuman, et al. v. New York Magazine, et al. New York 2023-12-13 Presumed Complete defamation first-amendment journalistic-standards libel public-concern supreme-court-precedent Whether the First Amendment requires a different standard for evaluating libel claims involving private figures in media reporting about matters of al…
23-6200 Courtney Green v. LG Electronics USA, et al. Third Circuit 2023-12-08 Dismissed Relisted (2)IFP civil-rights consumer-privacy data-collection defamation electronic-surveillance invasion-of-privacy racketeering telecommunications Whether the respondent LG Electronics Inc. aided in corrupt intent and racketeer influenced acts
23-5830 Joseph Emerson v. Craigslist/Craig Newmark, et al. Ohio 2023-10-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights corporate-conspiracy defamation due-process fbi-interference interstate-commerce interstate-sex-trafficking legal-obstruction sex-trafficking standing union-job-rights Whether the FBI's alleged interference with Petitioner's employment and housing, as well as its alleged involvement in interstate sex trafficking, vio…
23-326 Vanessa A. Phillips v. Macon Bibb County Government Eleventh Circuit 2023-09-29 Denied Response Waived at-will-employment breach-of-contract civil-rights defamation due-process employee-handbook employment employment-termination first-amendment free-speech unemployment-benefits Whether the At-Will employment statute shelters the employer, Macon-Bibb County Government (MBCG), from the First Amendment's 'unprotected speech
23-280 Darrell Gaebel v. United States Polo Association Fourth Circuit 2023-09-22 Denied Response Waived actionable-harm civil-rights defamation disciplinary-hearing due-process free-speech legal-process private-association publication Whether a private association can commit actionable defamation by publicizing defamatory material during a legally improper disciplinary hearing, even…
23-84 Jermaine Jevon Howard v. Shawn Jay-Z Carter Second Circuit 2023-07-28 Denied Response Waived breach-of-duty business-ventures civil-procedure copyright-infringement defamation legal-duty pseudonym-authorship songwriter-rights songwriting-compensation Did Shawn Jay-Z Carter have a legal duty owed to the Petitioner, and did he breach of that duty?
22-7838 Tori Smith v. Jehovah's Witnesses Organization, et al. Fourth Circuit 2023-06-21 Denied IFP civil-rights defamation due-process hate-crimes judicial-bias racial-discrimination religious-persecution standing Whether the plaintiff, a Black woman, was unlawfully barred from filing a lawsuit against a White women's organization due to racial discrimination
22-1154 Winglet Technology, LLC, et al. v. United States District of Columbia 2023-05-30 Denied Response Waived circuit-conflict defamation discovery-standard government-certification government-liability limited-discovery personal-spite scope-of-employment westfall-act Where the FAA disowned as verifiably false its employee's defamatory statements about petitioners and questioned his decision to publish them in the f…
22-1141 Gary Pisner v. Marla Rubinstein, et al. Fourth Circuit 2023-05-25 Denied civil-procedure cross-jurisdictional-preclusion defamation defamation-privilege documentary-evidence evidence forum-non-conveniens judicial-notice litigation-privilege procedural-requirements Whether a party can take judicial notice of documents without identifying the purpose, material to be recognized, and grounds under Fed. R. Evid. 201(…
22-1147 Sandra Susan Merritt v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., et al. Ninth Circuit 2023-05-25 Denied defamation first-amendment fraud free-speech journalistic-investigation newsgathering rico rico-act Whether the First Amendment's Free Speech Clause prevents the application of defamation liability and RICO to undercover newsgathering
22-1125 Don Blankenship v. NBCUniversal, LLC, et al. Fourth Circuit 2023-05-18 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3) actual-malice constitutional defamation first-amendment media-liability public-figure summary-judgment Whether the actual malice standard imposed on public figure plaintiffs in defamation cases should be replaced
22-1081 Bruce J. Chasan v. Correale F. Stevens, et al. Pennsylvania 2023-05-05 Denied Response Waived appellate-jurisdiction credibility-determinations defamation excess-of-jurisdiction fact-finding judicial-authority judicial-immunity non-monetary-relief statutory-limitations usurpation-of-authority Where Superior Court judges in Pennsylvania are deprived by statute of jurisdiction to make findings of fact and credibility determinations as appella…
22-7150 Courtney Green v. Fox Corporation Second Circuit 2023-03-30 Denied IFP civil-rights cyber-stalking defamation defamation-of-character invasion-of-privacy media-exploitation non-consensual-monitoring privacy racketeering surveillance unfair-business-practices Whether repeated actions over time arguably abandon coincidence and prove to be the product of orchestrated and intentional scenarios
22-7151 Courtney Green v. ABC Entertainment Inc. Second Circuit 2023-03-30 Denied IFP civil-rights cyber-stalking data-collection defamation electronic-communications-privacy invasion-of-privacy non-consensual-monitoring privacy racketeering surveillance Whether repeated actions over time arguably abandon coincidence and prove to be the product of orchestrated and intentional scenarios
22-939 Robert Frese v. John M. Formella, Attorney General of New Hampshire First Circuit 2023-03-28 Denied Amici (3) civil-procedure civil-rights criminal-prosecution defamation due-process first-amendment free-speech public-official standing vagueness vagueness-doctrine Whether the First Amendment tolerates criminal prosecution for alleged defamation of a public official
22-906 Alan Grayson v. No Labels, Inc., et al. Eleventh Circuit 2023-03-17 Denied Amici (3)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) actual-malice appellate-review circuit-split civil-procedure defamation first-amendment new-york-times-v-sullivan public-figure public-figures should-the-actual-malice-standard-be-revisited
22-792 Sergei Vinkov v. Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, et al. California 2023-02-22 Denied civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-rights defamation due-process first-amendment free-speech religious-speech standing Does California Supreme Court create unconstitutional burden on Petitioner's rights abstaining from compelling the state trial court to enter the fina…
22-591 Donald V. Watkins, et al. v. Matrix, LLC, et al. Alabama 2022-12-27 Denied Response Waived actual-malice civil-rights defamation due-process first-amendment free-speech presumed-damages public-figure summary-judgment Whether the Alabama Courts' grant and affirmance of a summary judgment for Respondents in a state law defamation case conflicts with this Court's deci…
22-6272 Courtney Green v. Kansas City Public Library, Trails West Branch Eighth Circuit 2022-12-09 Denied IFP civil-rights cyber-stalking cybersecurity data-protection defamation electronic-communications invasion-of-privacy personal-information-disclosure privacy privacy-violation unfair-business-practices Whether these actions repeated in sequence over a course of time support claims of improper use of company software to carry out direct violations of …
22-6056 Susan Kay Slivicki v. Denis R. McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eighth Circuit 2022-11-15 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP ada-accommodation agency-misconduct civil-rights contract-breach defamation eeoc-retaliation employment-discrimination federal-employment geographic-exclusion non-communication owcp veterans-preference Contract-law,civil-rights,federal-employment,ada,veterans-preference,hippa
22-302 Brent Ristow v. Amanda Cunningham Minnesota 2022-09-28 Denied absolute-immunity adversarial-proceeding civil-rights defamation ex-parte free-speech government-communication private-citizen Whether a private citizen who has submitted allegedly defamatory statements, to the government, ex parte, outside of any adversarial proceeding, about…
22-137 BYD Company Ltd. v. Alliance for American Manufacturing, et al. District of Columbia 2022-08-11 Denied Response Waived actual-malice civil-rights defamation discovery first-amendment free-speech pleading-standard pleading-standards public-figure reckless-disregard Whether Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly and Ashcroft v. Iqbal sub silentio overturned the balance struck in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan and its prog…
22-5246 Bruce H. Singman v. IMDb.com, Inc. California 2022-08-01 Denied IFP anti-SLAPP commercial-speech damaging-information defamation digital-media edit-system first-amendment freedom-of-speech internet-movie-database internet-publication tortious-interference wrongful-information Did the Supreme Court of California error in failing to note that the Respondent's IMDb.com i.e., Internet Movie Data Base had an EDIT System providin…
22-29 Richelle D. Wallace v. City of Hampton, Virginia, et al Virginia 2022-07-11 Denied actual-malice constitutional-interpretation curtis-publishing-co-v-butts defamation first-amendment free-speech libel-law new-york-times-v-sullivan public-figure Whether the actual-malice standard should be reconsidered for public-figure defamation cases
21-8275 James Lawrence v. Hearst Communications, Inc. Second Circuit 2022-06-29 Denied IFP arrest-reporting civil-rights criminal-characterization defamation due-process free-speech journalistic-ethics media-defamation media-law privacy substantial-truth warrant-interpretation Can a media organization repeatedly dox a past arrest insinuating conviction without clarifying if the arrest ever became a conviction?
21-1580 MyPillow, Inc. v. US Dominion, Inc., et al. District of Columbia 2022-06-22 Denied actual-malice collateral-order-doctrine defamation first-amendment free-speech interlocutory-appeal jurisdictional-appeal new-york-times-standard Whether a critic of official conduct may immediately appeal under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 a district court's refusal to dismiss under New York Times Co. v. S…
21-1518 BYD Company Ltd. v. Vice Media LLC Second Circuit 2022-06-02 Denied actual-malice defamation discovery-rights first-amendment iqbal pleading-standard public-figure twombly Whether Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly and Ashcroft v. Iqbal sub silentio overturned the balance struck in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan and its prog…
21-1474 Candace Owens, et al. v. Lead Stories, LLC, et al. Delaware 2022-05-24 Denied Response Waived civil-rights contract contract-law defamation first-amendment free-speech marketplace-regulation tortious-interference Should the First Amendment provide a defense to claims of tortious interference and similar torts that involve speech?
21-1412 Pamela Young, et al. v. Wendy Rogers, et al. Arizona 2022-05-03 Denied Response Waived defamation false-light first-amendment milkovich milkovich-standard political-speech private-figure reasonable-reader Whether the First Amendment immunizes a political candidate from a private figure's defamation-and-false-light-claims,whether-under-Milkovich's-enhanc…
21-1369 Carter Page v. Oath Inc. Delaware 2022-04-21 Denied Amici (1)Response Waived burden-of-proof defamation first-amendment passive-voice public-figure qualified-language truth-standard Does couching factual claims in qualified language and in the passive voice suffice to render them 'true or substantially true' under the First Amendm…
21-1074 Mark A. Di Carlo v. James R. Swartz, Jr., et al. Sixth Circuit 2022-02-03 Denied attorneys-fees civil-procedure defamation due-process federal-removal fourteenth-amendment ohio-law rule-54 Can a federal district court judge grant attorneys fees in federal district court in a federal removal proceeding from Ohio state courts for defamatio…
21-1071 Stephen Lynch Murray v. Janelle Irwin Taylor, et al. Florida 2022-02-02 Denied civil-rights cyberstalking-statute defamation due-process first-amendment free-speech government-retaliation judicial-discretion political-speech standing Can the government deputize private actors to attack political speech and thereby abridge political speech?
21-7042 Craig Nelsen v. Southern Poverty Law Center Eighth Circuit 2022-02-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP actual-malice constitutional-protection defamation diversity-jurisdiction first-amendment free-speech public-figure summary-judgment Whether the US Court for the 8th Circuit wrongly allowed the District Court's improper statement of a Missouri Supreme Court ruling
21-1030 Peter Brimelow v. The New York Times Company Second Circuit 2022-01-21 Denied Response Waived actual-malice civil-rights defamation due-process first-amendment free-speech government-policy media-entity media-liability new-york-times-standard race-intelligence-crime Whether the Sullivan Malice rule should be abandoned
21-839 Thomas H. Oehmke v. Patrick Andrew Guinan Michigan 2021-12-07 Denied Response Waived actual-malice civil-rights constitutional-protection defamation first-amendment free-speech malicious-reporting qualified-privilege Qualified Privilege for FBI Crime Tips
21-802 Coral Ridge Ministries Media, Inc., dba D. James Kennedy Ministries v. Southern Poverty Law Center Eleventh Circuit 2021-11-30 Denied Amici (4)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (14) actual-malice common-law curtis-publishing-co-v-butts defamation first-amendment free-speech public-figure reputational-harm sullivan Whether the Court should reconsider the 'actual-malice' standard in defamation cases involving public figures
21-6219 Martin Lindstedt, et al. v. Bryan Anthony Reo Ohio 2021-11-08 Denied IFP civil-lawfare civil-procedure defamation false-light jurisdiction monopoly-license public-figure punitive-damages statutory-limitations white-supremacy Question not identified
21-673 Robert Allen Austin v. James McCann, Judge, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2021-11-05 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2) 14th-amendment civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-rights defamation due-process free-speech judicial-procedure standing statutory-interpretation What statute grants federal and state judges the use of defamation 18 U.S.C. § 4101(1) to deprive a U.S. citizen of a protected right under the 14th A…
21-571 Infowars, LLC, et al. v. Marcel Fontaine Texas 2021-10-20 Denied class-action defamation first-amendment free-speech media-organization public-concern rosenblatt-test speech-rights sullivan-test tort-actions Whether the First Amendment bars tort actions seeking damages for speech on matters of public concern directed at a loosely associated, large class of…
21-577 Fredric N. Eshelman v. Puma Biotechnology, Inc. Fourth Circuit 2021-10-20 Denied Response Waived appellate-review civil-procedure damages damages-challenge defamation federal-rules-of-civil-procedure judgment-as-matter-of-law rule-50 sufficiency-of-evidence unitherm unitherm-precedent Whether a defendant who did not file a Rule 50 motion for judgment as a matter of law in the district court can nonetheless raise a sufficiency of the…
21-529 Bataski Bailey v. Fair & Walker Unit Owners Association, Inc., et al. Georgia 2021-10-08 Denied Response Waived 5th-amendment attorney-misconduct civil-rights defamation due-process fifth-amendment fourteenth-amendment judicial-proceeding judicial-proceedings legal-ethics Do intentional false statements by an attorney violate opposing party's rights?
21-509 James Lawrence v. Altice USA Second Circuit 2021-10-06 Denied Response Waived arrest-warrant civil-rights defamation due-process first-amendment free-speech legal-interpretation media-defamation media-reporting standing substantial-truth Can a media lawfully portray a ONE TIME One Count of Second Degree Breach of Peace arrest as 'ARRESTED FOR STALKING SEVERAL WOMEN?
21-394 D. F. Pace v. Emily Baker-White, et al. Third Circuit 2021-09-13 Denied Response Waived actual-malice civil-rights defamation due-process first-amendment free-speech internet-speech new-york-times-sullivan standing technological-advances Whether the Court should revisit the 'actual malice' doctrine of New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
21-398 Jesus Guerrero v. Diocese of Lubbock Texas 2021-09-13 Denied Response Waived child-sexual-abuse defamation first-amendment free-speech religious-organization secular-audience tort-liability Whether the First Amendment shields a religious organization from tort liability for defamatory statements made to a secular audience regarding the se…
21-343 Michelle J. Smith v. Nicholas French, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Martin D. French, Deceased Massachusetts 2021-09-02 Denied Response Waived actual-malice child-athletes defamation first-amendment fourteenth-amendment libel preemption public-figure sports-governance Whether the standard of proof in a State Defamation/Libel case arising from a parental complaint to a National Governing Body of Sport, should automat…
21-298 Bobby Wilson v. Phoenix Newspapers, Inc., et al. Arizona 2021-08-30 Denied Response Waived context defamation false-publication first-amendment freedom-of-press freedom-of-speech malice media-liability speech-protection Is a fabricated publication sufficient proof of malice?
21-142 Robert J. Frey v. Anthony Binford Minter, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2021-08-03 Denied choice-of-law defamation diversity-jurisdiction forum-shopping internet-communication internet-publication personal-jurisdiction reputation-injury reputational-injury Whether Petitioner, a natural person, domiciled in Florida, who suffered injury to his reputation in Florida from a defamatory multistate internet com…
21-121 Christiana Tah, et al. v. Global Witness Publishing, Inc., et al. District of Columbia 2021-07-28 Denied Amici (1) actual-malice civil-rights defamation first-amendment free-speech inference-of-intent pleading-standard pleading-standards public-figure public-plaintiff Whether a complaint by a public plaintiff alleging defamation sufficiently pleads actual-malice, in-the-absence-of-direct-evidence, by-presenting-deta…
21-97 Anne Georges Telasco v. The Florida Bar Eleventh Circuit 2021-07-23 Denied Response Waived civil-rights criminal-procedure defamation due-process ex-parte-judgment false-criminal-report felony-conviction florida-bar free-speech sovereign-immunity standing Whether Sovereign Immunity is inapplicable to Telasco's Defamation Action
21-40 Lumbsden A. Sangster v. Anthony Valencia California 2021-07-12 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2) civil-procedure civil-rights defamation evidence evidence-tampering fair-report-privilege free-speech police-communication press-communication section-47 Whether the fair report privilege applies to a private communication between a police officer and a member of the press in a defamation case
21-5 Solomon Adu-Beniako v. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Michigan 2021-07-06 Denied Response Waived administrative-law cdc-guidelines civil-rights constitutional-rights defamation due-process expert-testimony government-liability judicial-review standing substantial-evidence Does the Respondent's unfairly tasking, and blaming the Petitioner for the DOJ/DEA responsibility violate the Petitioner's Constitutional rights?
20-1687 Jules Dylan Stuer v. Susan Duesler Texas 2021-06-04 Denied amicus-attorney child-abuse child-custody civil-rights constitutional-provisions defamation due-process fraud standing victim-rights Whether an amicus attorney is allowed to side with someone who damages a child repeatedly, perjures themselves in civil court, and defrauds the opposi…
20-1637 Janice Dickinson v. Ryan Seacrest Productions, Inc., et al. Ninth Circuit 2021-05-25 Denied Response Waived actual-malice defamation first-amendment lanham-act new-york-times-v-sullivan public-figure rogers-test rogers-v-grimaldi Whether a defendant who willfully creates a false narrative about a public figure that is marketed to the public as a true story, for the intentional …
20-1588 Michael Konowicz, aka Michael Phillips, et al. v. Jonathan P. Carr, et al. Third Circuit 2021-05-17 Denied actual-malice commercial-speech constitutional-interpretation defamation first-amendment fourteenth-amendment free-speech lanham-act Whether the Court should revisit the 'actual malice' doctrine of New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
20-1174 Kim Lippard, et vir v. Larry Holleman, et al. North Carolina 2021-02-25 Denied Amici (1)Relisted (3) civil-claims defamation ecclesiastical-settings first-amendment neutral-principles neutral-principles-of-law religion-clauses tort-claims Whether the First Amendment's Religion Clauses prohibit courts from hearing defamation claims that arise from ecclesiastical settings, even when the c…
20-1063 Shkelzën Berisha v. Guy Lawson, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2021-02-04 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (4) actual-malice constitutional-law curtis-publishing-co-v-butts defamation first-amendment libel libel-law mckee-v-cosby public-figure Whether the Court should overrule the 'actual malice' requirement for public figure defamation plaintiffs
20-981 Fidelis Agbapuruonwu v. NBC Subsidiary (WRC-TV), LLC, dba NBC4 Washington, et al. Fourth Circuit 2021-01-25 Denied Response Waived civil-procedure civil-rights defamation due-process federal-pleading-standards malice malice-standard media-defendant pleading-requirements private-individual qualified-privilege Whether Twombly and Iqbal require heightened factual pleading of allegations of malice in a common law defamation complaint brought by a private indiv…
20-952 Construction Cost Data, L.L.C., et al. v. The Gordian Group, Incorporated, et al. Fifth Circuit 2021-01-14 Denied business-disparagement defamation false-statements first-amendment jury-findings noerr-pennington noerr-pennington-doctrine reckless-disregard state-law-liability Whether the Noerr-Pennington doctrine has been improperly expanded beyond its First-Amendment-protections to insulate knowingly-false-statements
20-780 Joe W. Aguillard v. Louisiana College Fifth Circuit 2020-12-08 Denied Response Waived civil-rights defamation defamation-suit eeoc eeoc-complaint employment-discrimination opposition-clause participation-clause retaliation title-vii Does the 'participation' clause protect an employee from a retaliatory defamation suit?
20-693 Mikhail Fridman, et al. v. Orbis Business Intelligence Limited, et al. District of Columbia 2020-11-19 Denied Response Waived actual-malice anti-slapp anti-slapp-act defamation due-process herbert-v-lando public-figure Whether the application of the D.C. Anti-SLAPP Act to dismiss a public figure's defamation claim violates due-process, actual-malice, herbert-v-lando
20-506 Sergei Vinkov v. Mark Smith, et al. California 2020-10-16 Denied civil-rights communication-decency-act defamation due-process first-amendment religious-organization subject-matter-jurisdiction volunteer-protection-act Whether the lower courts have subject matter jurisdiction over a defamation lawsuit against a foreign national board director of a religious organizat…
20-367 Anna Baran v. ASRC Federal Mission Solutions, et al. Third Circuit 2020-09-23 Denied appellate-review civil-procedure court-of-appeals defamation discovery-rule dismissal due-process equitable-tolling prejudicial-evidence statute-of-limitations Whether the Court of Appeals Erred in Affirming the District Court's Order Dismissing Ms. Baran's Defamation Claim on the Grounds that it was Time-Bar…
20-252 Gannett Co., Inc., et al. v. Ryan Larson Minnesota 2020-09-01 Denied Response Waived defamation fair-report-privilege falsity-element first-amendment free-speech law-enforcement-statements media-reporting public-concern In a defamation case, where a jury finds that media defendants' reporting on what law enforcement said in a news release and news conference was subst…
20-70 Jagan Mahadevan v. Prem Bikkina California 2020-07-24 Denied civil-rights defamation due-process federal-preemption first-amendment free-speech public-concern public-interest research-misconduct scientific-integrity standing Whether federal statutory and regulatory scheme for research misconduct preempted state law defamation claims
19-1345 Jon Butcher v. Cady Vishniac Massachusetts 2020-06-05 Denied Response Waived defamation defamation-law due-process-clause first-amendment gertz-precedent gertz-v-robert-welch private-concern private-figure republication republication-doctrine Does the First Amendment or Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. impose limitations on defamation claims by private, non-public figures involved in private mat…
19-1290 Michael T. Bennett v. Marvel Entertainment, LLC Eleventh Circuit 2020-05-14 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2) admissions-of-guilt character-design civil-procedure copyright-infringement damages defamation discovery intellectual-property plagiarism poor-man's-copyright standing If the Court finds that the Marvel Character 'Falcon' in the 2014 Captain America The Winter Soldier movie looks strikingly similar from the neck down…
19-1271 Toni Sharretts Collins v. William Zolnier Texas 2020-05-07 Denied Response Waived absolute-privilege circuit-conflict civil-procedure communication-privilege defamation defamation-privilege first-amendment free-speech judicial-privilege legal-immunity procedural-exception tort tort-law Whether a party has absolute judicial privilege when a defamatory communication is made that has no logical relation to the proceeding
19-1247 Judson A. Lovingood v. Discovery Communications, Inc., et al. Eleventh Circuit 2020-04-27 Denied Response Waived actual-malice defamation entertainment entertainment-media first-amendment free-speech public-official sworn-testimony Whether the publication of totally false and fabricated testimony of a public official testifying under oath to produce an entertaining, dramatic effe…
19-902 Michael Ramon Ochoa v. Arthur Levine, et al. Pennsylvania 2020-01-23 Denied Response Waived 18-usc-1846 civil-conspiracy collateral-order collateral-orders constitutional-protection criminal-complaints defamation judicial-notice pa-constitution trial-court-discretion Does Exhibit F. The Hill School Conversations sufficiently represent the facts supporting civil-conspiracy,defamation
19-903 Michael Ramon Ochoa v. Arthur Levine, et al. Pennsylvania 2020-01-23 Denied appellate-review civil-conspiracy civil-procedure civil-rights collateral-order-doctrine collateral-orders constitutional-protection defamation standing wrongful-use-of-civil-proceedings Whether claims of wrongful use of civil proceedings, civil conspiracy, or defamation would be irreparably lost if this appeal is not heard
19-904 Michael Ramon Ochoa v. Arthur Levine, et al. Pennsylvania 2020-01-23 Denied appellate-procedure civil-conspiracy collateral-order collateral-orders constitutional-protection criminal-complaints defamation malpractice pa-constitution us-constitution questions-presented
19-905 Michael Ramon Ochoa v. Arthur Levine, et al. Pennsylvania 2020-01-23 Denied appellate-procedure civil-conspiracy civil-procedure civil-rights collateral-order constitutional-protection defamation due-process malpractice standing Whether claims of malpractice, civil-conspiracy, or defamation would be irreparably lost if this appeal is not heard
19-6544 Bradly M. Cunningham v. Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., et al. Ninth Circuit 2019-11-07 Dismissed Response WaivedIFP actual-knowledge anti-SLAPP civil-rights civil-rights-violation defamation defamation-statute discovery due-process false-light media-liability state-actor-doctrine statute-of-limitations Whether the Court can stay this matter until final resolution of a related and dependent money damages case, or order the petitioner be allowed to obt…
19-562 Brian Burke v. New York City Transit Authority, et al. Second Circuit 2019-10-29 Denied Response Waived 42-usc-1983 ada civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-interpretation defamation due-process fair-labor-standards-act first-amendment leave-to-amend pleading-standards pro-se pro-se-litigation standing state-statute title-vii unconstitutionality Pleading standards for pro se parties in Title VII, 42 U.S.C. 1983, and ADA cases
19-6442 William Conrad Yeager, II v. National Public Radio, et al. Tenth Circuit 2019-10-29 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP civil-rights defamation defamation-law first-amendment free-speech libel libel-standards media-access newsworthiness public-controversy public-figure public-figure-doctrine public-interest Whether the petitioner, an unknown musician and independent filmmaker, who fails to meet the requirements for a limited purpose public figure under Ge…
19-405 Nicholas Schiano, dba HotWireMedia.com, et al. v. Matt Friedman, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2019-09-25 Denied civil-rights constitutional-law defamation due-process eleventh-circuit federal-law first-amendment free-speech legal-defense motives substantial-truth Whether substantial truth is a complete defense to defamation under the First Amendment, regardless of the motives of the speaker?
19-63 Murphy J. Painter v. Shane Evans Louisiana 2019-07-11 Denied Response Waived civil-rights constitutional-protection defamation first-amendment government-speech new-york-times-v-sullivan public-figure Does the First Amendment apply to government speech such that defamatory government speech is protected free speech?
18-1592 Allstate Insurance Company v. Daniel Rivera, et al. Seventh Circuit 2019-06-27 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) article-iii article-iii-standing civil-procedure defamation fair-credit-reporting-act fcra federal-jurisdiction standing state-law-claims supplemental-jurisdiction trial-court-discretion Whether a federal court may exercise supplemental jurisdiction over state-law claims when it determines after trial that a plaintiff lacks standing to…
18-1576 Adriano Kruel Budri v. Daniel M. Humphreys Texas 2019-06-25 Denied Response Waived civil-rights defamation due-process employment-dispute free-speech legislative-interpretation private-communication private-employment-dispute snyder-v-phelps statutory-construction texas-citizens-participation-act Does the TCPA apply to a private employment dispute involving allegedly defamatory statements in a private intended audience and location?
18-9779 Xue Jie He v. Trinity Church, et al. Second Circuit 2019-06-25 Denied IFP civil-procedure civil-rights conspiracy defamation discrimination due-process equal-protection fourteenth-amendment personal-injury racial-discrimination standing visa-status US visa: 0187, legal short-term stay, Personal Injury, can Petitioner get The Equal Protection Clause Of The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States…
18-9550 Jerome L. Grimes v. Avis Budget Group Third Circuit 2019-06-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP access-to-courts civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-rights defamation due-process framed-up pro-se-plaintiff sixth-amendment standing statute-of-limitation theft Whether a plausible claim for relief was asserted in the plaintiff's amended complaint, and whether tolling the statutes of limitation to file and/or …
18-1477 Competitive Enterprise Institute, et al. v. Michael E. Mann District of Columbia 2019-05-28 Denied Amici (2)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (8) constitutional-law defamation first-amendment free-speech opinion provably-false public-concern public-figure question-of-law-or-fact subjective-commentary Whether the First Amendment permits defamation liability for subjective commentary on true facts concerning a matter of public concern
18-1451 National Review, Inc. v. Michael E. Mann District of Columbia 2019-05-21 Denied Amici (4)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (8) defamation first-amendment free-speech matter-of-public-concern opinion-speech provably-false provably-false-factual-connotation public-concern public-policy-debate scientific-controversy scientific-misconduct subjective-opinion Whether a statement contains a 'provably false' factual connotation is a question of law for the court, not a question of fact for the jury
18-1441 Presbyterian Church U.S.A. v. Brian Edwards, Judge, Jefferson Circuit Court, et al. Kentucky 2019-05-17 Denied Relisted (2) church-autonomy church-constitution civil-rights defamation ecclesiastical-abstention first-amendment free-speech ministerial-role religious-doctrine supremacy-clause Whether the First Amendment requires state courts to dismiss suits immediately upon a showing that the claim turns upon the interpretation or applicat…
18-8979 Lisa Jacobs v. Lorraine MacDonald, et vir New Hampshire 2019-04-24 Denied IFP actual-malice constitutional-rights defamation defamation-damages first-amendment negligence-per-se presumptive-damages punitive-damages Whether enhanced compensatory damages in connection with an action for negligence per se requires proof of 'actual malice' consistent with St. Amant v…
18-1228 Barbara Mrzlak Brundo v. Christ the King Church of Omaha Eighth Circuit 2019-03-21 Denied Response Waived civil-rights defamation due-process employment estate-administration estate-litigation frivolous-litigation judicial-retaliation ministerial-exception probate-court retaliation rule-11-sanctions Whether Rule 11 sanctions paid by petitioner for alleged frivolous complaints should be returned with interest
18-1155 James Michael Murphy v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-03-06 Denied Response Waived civil-procedure civil-rights claim-preclusion defamation discovery due-process first-amendment government-liability judicial-estoppel litigation-strategy res-judicata Defamation lawsuit precluded by res judicata after dismissal of first lawsuit due to withholding of key information about additional, later, widesprea…
18-964 Father John Gallagher v. Diocese of Palm Beach, Inc. Florida 2019-01-25 Denied Amici (2) church-doctrine civil-rights defamation first-amendment free-speech legal-immunity public-safety religious-speech standing Whether the priest is barred by the First Amendment from bringing a defamation action against a church
18-7438 Armando A. Villa v. Robert J. Kowalski Illinois 2019-01-16 Denied IFP abuse-of-power appellate-review civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-rights defamation due-process free-speech judicial-misconduct legal-procedure legal-profession rule-of-law standing unclean-hands Why would the United States Supreme Court refuse to hear the Appeal of a case in which an individual, who as an 'Honorable' member of the legal profes…
18-864 John Tatum, et ux. v. The Dallas Morning News, Inc., et al. Texas 2019-01-07 Denied Response Waived constitutional-protection defamation first-amendment free-speech milkovich-precedent milkovich-v-lorain omnicare-v-laborers opinion opinion-piece opinion-speech Whether an otherwise verifiable accusation of dishonesty should be considered Constitutionally protected opinion under the First Amendment because suc…
18-7092 Ileen Cain v. Atelier Esthetique Institute of Esthetics, Inc. Second Circuit 2018-12-18 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP character-damage civil-liability civil-rights defamation defamation-per-se due-process financial-prospects professional-reputation rehabilitation-act terrorism trade trade-school Question not identified
18-7027 Crystal Nicole Kuri v. Addictive Behavioral Change Health Group, et al. Kansas 2018-12-14 Denied Relisted (2)IFP civil-procedure civil-rights conspiracy defamation due-process emotional-distress slander standing Has Haw Stecruke o Unni ation sepired on AN 13 of my Claims?
18-6907 Robert J. Kulick v. Leisure Village Association, Inc. Ninth Circuit 2018-12-04 Denied Relisted (3)IFP anti-SLAPP civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-rights defamation due-process equal-protection freedom-of-speech home-owners-association legal-procedure rooker-feldman rooker-feldman-doctrine standing Is 9th Cir's Case#18-56000, Dismissal, 11-29-18, null & void because of defective Defendant-Appellee, when correct was Leisure Village Association, In…
18-602 Jodi A. Smith v. Lakewood Ranch Gymnastics LLC, et al. Florida 2018-11-07 Denied Response Waived appellate-review civil-procedure defamation enhanced-appellate-review first-amendment jurisdiction legal-procedure new-york-times-v-sullivan non-media-defendant private-plaintiff standing supreme-court Whether the enhanced appellate review reiterated in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan is required for First Amendment protection in a defamation case wit…
18-584 Angela Engle Horne v. WTVR, LLC, dba CBS6 Fourth Circuit 2018-11-05 Denied Response Waived actual-malice civil-rights constitutional-standard defamation first-amendment free-speech media-law public-figure public-official sullivan Whether this Court should overrule New York Times v. Sullivan
18-453 Olivia de Havilland v. FX Networks, LLC, et al. California 2018-10-11 Denied artistic-license civil-rights defamation docudrama false-statements first-amendment free-speech pleading-stage public-figure right-of-publicity Are reckless or knowing false statements about a living public figure, published in docudrama format, entitled to absolute First Amendment protection …
18-275 Patricia Smith, et al. v. Hillary Rodham Clinton, et al. District of Columbia 2018-09-04 Denied Response Waived benghazi civil-procedure civil-rights dc-circuit defamation federal-court-procedure federal-courts government-immunity hillary-clinton motion-to-dismiss sovereign-immunity subject-matter-jurisdiction substitution substitution-of-defendant westfall-act Whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit erred in affirming the substitution of the United States for Hillary Clinton an…
18-70 William H. Cosby, Jr. v. Janice Dickinson California 2018-07-12 Denied attorney-client attorney-speech attorney-statements california-court-of-appeal client-representation constitutional-protection defamation first-amendment first-amendment-protection free-speech milkovich public-accusations public-figure third-circuit Whether an attorney's statement denying wrongdoing on behalf of a client who has been publicly accused of serious misconduct enjoys constitutional pro…