United States Seventh Circuit

In an action for defamation arising out of a character in a movie that plaintiff believed represented him in a negative light, summary judgment for movie studio defendant is affirmed where the character may reasonably be innocently interpreted or reasonably be interpreted as referring to someone other than plaintiff, thus the portrayal was not actionable. A sanction order against plaintiff's lawyers is also affirmed where the attorneys failed to abide by an order requiring them to identify the documents they planned to use at trial in support of plaintiff's claims.

Appellate Information

• Argued 05/05/2006
• Decided 02/08/2007
• Published 02/08/2007

Judges

• WOOD, Circuit Judge., Before KANNE, WOOD, and SYKES, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• L. Andrew Brehm (argued), Michael B. Roche (argued), Schuyler, Roche & Zwirner, Camille B. Conway, Barnes & Thornburg, Chicago, IL, for Plaintiff-Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Debbie L. Berman (argued), Jenner & Block, Chicago, IL, for Defendants-Appellees.