Georgia Libel Law

SAMANTHA SMITH, individually, ANN HERRERA, the Court Appointed Personal Administrator as administrator of the estate of Robert Steven Smith, MICAH SMITH, the Court Appointed Personal Administrator as administrator of the estate of Sydney Smith, MICAH SMITH, individually v. United States of America

<center><h2><center> Atlanta, Georgia - Criminal defense lawyer represented Plaintiffs-Appellants with suing the United States over deaths of family members. </h2></center> Just a few days after Thanksgiving in 2016, Steve Smith was driving with his 21-year-old daughter Sydney while under the influence of alcohol. Shortly after midnight, their ca... More...

$0 (10-10-2021 - GA)

Douglas Echols v. Spencer Lawton

<center> <img width="300" src="https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/styles/slideshow/public/slideshows/slides/01.jpg?itok=DXShHpdT"> </center> This appeal requires us to decide whether a district attorney enjoys qualified immunity from a complaint that he defamed a former prisoner in retaliation for seeking legislative compensation for his wrongful convictions. After Dougla... More...

$0 (01-27-2019 - GA)

Justin Hammett v. Paulding County, Georgia, City of Dallas, Georgia, Nathalie D. Whitner and JOseph Mayfield

On October 17, 2012, police officers Joey Horsley, Nathalie Whitener, and Joseph Mayfield, defendants-appellees in this case, executed a search warrant at a private residence in Hiram, Georgia, intending to seize methamphetamines suspected to be in the possession of Brenda Van Cleve. During the execution of the warrant, a confrontation ensued. Each of the officers fired one shot, t... More...

$0 (12-11-2017 - GA)

Justin Hammett v. Paulding County, Georgia, et al.

On October 17, 2012, police officers Joey Horsley, Nathalie Whitener, and Joseph Mayfield, defendants-appellees in this case, executed a search warrant at a private residence in Hiram, Georgia, intending to seize methamphetamines suspected to be in the possession of Brenda Van Cleve. During the execution of the warrant, a confrontation ensued. Each of the officers fired one shot, t... More...

$0 (11-21-2017 - GA)

Flanigan's Enterprises, Inc. of Georgia v. City of Sandy Springs, Georgia

We granted rehearing en banc to review the constitutionality of a municipal ordinance prohibiting the sale of sexual devices in light of several recent Supreme Court decisions which, it was argued, call into question the continued vitality of this Court's decision in Williams v. Attorney General (Williams IV), 378 F.3d 1232 (11th Cir. 2004). After we agreed to take the case en banc... More...

$0 (08-23-2017 - GA)

Stephen Dennis v. Teresa Watson and RomeNewsbyWatson.com, Inc.

Stephen Dennis sued Teresa Watson and RomeNewsbyWatson.com, Inc. on a libel theory claiming that Defendants posted a slanderous anonymous comment on RomeNewsbyWatson.com that claimed that he had engaged in immoral activities. The defenses asserted by Defendants are not available.... More...

$225000 (06-29-2011 - GA)

Pat Ross and Carmen Gordon v. Eight Members of Delta Sigma Theta

Pat Ross and Carmen Gordon sued eight long-time members of the nation's second-oldest black sorority Delta Sigma Theta on a libel theory claiming that statements published by the defendants asserting that Ross exercised poor management while she served as sorority president and more than $100,000 went missing. They also claimed Ross and Gordon schemed to cover up the losses but had not taken a... More...

$0 (01-19-2008 - GA)

<a href="http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/ops/200215899.pdf" target="_new">Hickson Corporation v. Northern Crossarm Co., Inc. and Patrick Bischel</a>

A controversy over promotional language employed by competitors in the wood-preservation products industry resulted in litigation in which parties on both sides obtained a summary judgment. Both sides have appealed. Because material evidence was overlooked in the district court, one of the summary judgments must be vacated and remanded. We affirm the other summary judgment. BACKGROUND ... More...

$0 (01-26-2004 - GA)

<a href="http://www.law.emory.edu/11circuit/nov2002/02-12642.opn.html" target="_new">Linda Hoffman-Pugh v. Patricia Ramsey and John Ramsey</a>

This diversity case arises from a book written by John and Patricia Ramsey about the police investigation into their daughter's murder. Linda Hoffmann-Pugh, the Ramseys' former housekeeper, brought suit against the Ramseys, alleging libel and slander under Georgia law in connection with the book and its promotion. The district court granted the Ramseys' motion to dismiss Hoffmann-Pugh's complaint ... More...

$0 (11-20-2002 - GA)

Swindall v. Cox Enterprises, Inc.

Patrick Swindall sued Cox Enterpises, Inc. for libel for statements made in an editorial published in Cox's newspaper, the Atlantic Constitution. In 1989, a federal court indicted Swindall for perjury. Swindall was convicted for nine counts of perjury, of which the Eleventh Circuit revered three and affirmed six. In 1999, the Atlanta Constitution published an editorial entitled "Barr's claims ou... More...

$0 (01-11-2002 - GA)

<a href="http://www2.state.ga.us/courts/supreme/pdf/s01g0743.pdf" target="_new">COX ENTERPRISES, INC. et al. v. NIX</a>

This appeal arises from a suit for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress filed by attorney Franklin R. Nix against Cox Enterprises, doing business as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; an editor; and a number of unnamed individuals (hereinafter, collectively, “Cox”). The suit was based on two related articles published in the Journal-Const... More...

$0 (02-25-2002 - GA)

<a href="http://www2.state.ga.us/Courts/Supreme/s01g0053.pdf" target="_new">RIDLEY v. JOHNS et al.</a>

Jane Johns worked for the Heard County Department of Family and Children Services ("DFCS") under the supervision of Jere R. Ridley. Based on what she alleged was 13 months of harassment, Johns filed suit against Ridley and DFCS for slander, libel, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy. Johns’s husband, now deceased, sued the same defendants for loss of co... More...

$0 (09-17-2001 - GA)

Jennifer Fain v. Firestone Publishing

Libel claim by a plus-size model whose photographs were published without her permission in Plumpers magazine published by Miami-based Firestone Publishing with unflattering text.... More...

$1050000 (12-01-2000 - GA)

Burke Ramsey, a minor, by his next friends and natural parents, John Ramsey and Patsy Ramsey v. American Media, Inc. and Star Editorial, Inc. d/b/a Star

Diversity of Citizenship - Libel, Assault & Slander - JonBonet Ramsey's brother was falsely reported by the tabloid Star was being a murder suspect in the death of his sister. In May and June 1999, Star magazine published and then retracted two articles reporting on the investigation of the role of Burke Ramsey. On May 25, the Star published a front-page store about Burke, with photos, under t... More...

$0 (03-21-2000 - GA)