Pate v. Service Merchandise Co., Inc.

How courts have described this case

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

• holding that it was reasonable for the defendants to rely on their own observations and memory in identifying someone in a photo line up
• “Extrinsic facts may [] be used to show the defamatory meaning of words that are not defamatory on their face.”
• “The proper question is whether the meaning reasonably conveyed by the published words is reasonably understood in a defamatory sense by the reader or listener”
• “[D]efamation is not a strict liability tort. To prevail in a defamation cause of action, the plaintiff must also show some level of fault on the part of the defendant.”
• “[D]amages must be shown in all defamation cases.”

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).