Denis v. Veazey

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• holding that “a person’s actual knowledge that his statement is false, coupled with his intent to deceive another by means of that statement, constitute the ‘actual malice’ required for the availability of punitive damages”
• recognizing that the tort of fraud or deceit requires scien- ter—the defendant’s knowledge that either his statement was false, or that he was recklessly indifferent as to whether his statement was true or false.
• recognizing that the tort of fraud or deceit requires scienter—the defendant’s knowledge that either his statement was false, or that he was recklessly indifferent as to whether his statement was true or false.
• holding that not all fraud actions give rise to punitive damages; the fraud must be committed with actual malice, which amounts to “a person’s actual knowledge that his statement is false, coupled with his intent to deceive another by means of that statement”
• stressing that “recovery in a tort action for fraud or deceit in Maryland is based upon a defendant’s deliberate intent to deceive”
• explaining that punitive damages must relate to a defendant’s degree of culpability and ability to pay

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).