United States Seventh Circuit

In a suit alleging libel and false light for defendant-author's allegedly defamatory portrayal of plaintiff-NAACP officer in a book criticizing local police and the NAACP, summary judgment for defendants is affirmed where: 1) no evidence demonstrated that a "fantasy sequence" in the book was more than non-actionable rhetorical hyperbole; 2) speculations contained in one chapter were not factual assertions but constitutionally-protected opinions; 3) plaintiff's reference to defendant as a "liar" was defamatory per se, but defendant, a public figure, failed to produce evidence to demonstrate that the statement was made with actual malice; and 4) the false-light claim necessarily failed in the absence of a valid per se defamation claim.

Appellate Information

• Argued 05/30/2008
• Decided 08/22/2008
• Published 08/22/2008

Judges

• BAUER, Circuit Judge., Before BAUER, RIPPLE and WOOD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Stephen F. Hedinger (argued), Hedinger Law Office, Springfield, IL, for Plaintiff-Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Donald M. Craven (argued), Craven & Thornton, Springfield, IL, for Defendants-Appellees.