my neighbors, who have never met me, are telling the parents of my sons friends not to let their son play with my kid cause they say that my husband and i are pot smokers. this is affecting our son. what do i do. we dont smoke by the way
2007-03-12 05:04:25 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Defamation is a false statement that holds you up to shame, contempt or ridicule. The statement that you some pot is an accusation that you are a criminal and so it is defamation. You could sue, but you would have to prove that you did not smoke pot. A lawsuit would be expensive and you probably would not get very much in damages.
2007-03-12 05:16:11 · answer #1 · answered by Mr Wisdom 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I agree that a lawsuit would be expensive and time-consuming. A better way to have them stop would be to go see a lawyer and have the lawyer write a polite letter telling them to stop spreading untruths about you or you will be forced to take legal action. This should probably scare them. If you don't have the money to do this, maybe you could write them a letter yourself. However, DO NOT threaten them or anything like that. The letter must be very polite and professional. Don't accuse them directly--just say someone has told you and you are not sure. Let them know that you are concerned about rumors being spread and keep it very polite. Also, let them know that this is upsetting you and you are considering legal action. Do not be mean or accusing or threatening. Keep it civil but get your message across.
Good Luck!
2007-03-12 15:46:41 · answer #2 · answered by amt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you can show that they said this, without checking whether it was true, and that it hurt your reputation, then technically yes, you can sue for slander.
The problem is, the cost of the suit would likely far exceed any possible recovery.
2007-03-12 12:09:40 · answer #3 · answered by coragryph 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋