i need to find case law on slander or libel either would be fine.?

Question

Where can I find case precedent on slander

Answer 1

Lexis/Nexis and Westlaw are the two best databases. But you'll need more than just the type of law - you'll need to know the state in which you're researching the law.

Answer 2

Slander is a tort involving making a false utterance against another. Different states have interpreted the law differently in this area. Libel is generally the publication of a false statement about a person. BOTH Libel and Slander have some conditions which must be met before a case can proceed: the information must be false, the person who is saying it (or publishing it) must know or be proven that they should have known it was false, and there must be some harm that comes from it. In other words, telling my next door neighbor that I wore a blue tie on Monday, when in fact I wore a red tie, (even if one knows the utterance to be false) isn't libel or slander, because it causes me no harm. However, claiming to my neighbor (or anyone else) that I went to work in my underwear might be considered to be causing harm.

One of the most famous cases involving Libel was New York Times v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964) In that case, the US Supreme Court held that when the person who was libeled (and also slandered in other cases) is a public person, i.e. politican, government official, celebrity, etc, that to prove libel there must be actual malice proven, and/or that there was reckless disregard of whether the comments were true.

My suggestion for more research on this would be to go to a law library and ask the Law Librarian to assist you to do a citation search on New York Times v. Sullivan (for more recent cases, although NYT v. Sullivan is still good law) and to further research the law in your jurisdiction.

If you believe you have a case for libel or slander, consult an attorney licensed in your state. For a referral, consult your local or state bar association.

Answer 3

In a law library.