Sheila Haddock, left, for appellant Jane Roe, and Travis Jones argue before the Texas Supreme Court. Credit: SCOTx video archives. This Texas Case Could Expand 3rd-Party Liability in Defamation Suits
A key challenge facing Roe is the lack of a record of specific defamatory quotes relayed by the defendant to others.
September 12, 2024 at 05:16 PM
4 minute read
What You Need to Know
- The Texas Supreme Court heard argument on questions from the Fifth Circuit that defendants claim could improperly expand defamation liability.
- The plaintiff identified as Jane Roe sued the president of a Baptist seminary, alleging he used third parties to say she lied about being raped.
- The Fifth Circuit said the viability of her claim depends on the Supreme Court's interpretation of the admissibility of specific statements for which no recording exists.
Counsel for defendants facing defamation allegations stemming from an alleged rape at a Southern Baptist seminary argued before the Texas Supreme Court against expanding liability law.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in an unpublished opinion, sent two certified questions to the state's high court after hearing arguments in a defamation case brought in federal district court from the Eastern District of Texas.
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