United States Seventh Circuit

Defendant's published article alleging that plaintiff "pleaded poverty" and could not repay a bank loan, resulting in a bankruptcy petition, was not defamatory since the article was based upon details available in public documents, and an author's opinion about business ethics is not defamatory under Illinois law.

Appellate Information

• Argued 01/12/2001
• Decided 02/20/2001
• Published 02/20/2001

Judges

• EASTERBROOK, Circuit Judge., Before EASTERBROOK, ROVNER, and DIANE P. WOOD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Bruce S. Sperling (argued), Sperling, Slater & Spitz, Paul K. Vickrey, Niro, Scavone, Haller & Niro, Chicago, IL, for Plaintiff-Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• David P. Sanders (argued), Jenner & Block, Chicago, IL, for Defendants-Appellees.