Judge allows defamation claim against county

kAmu@==@H:?8 2 962C:?8 96 96=5 @? |2C49 b_[ $FA6C:@C r@FCE yF586 |2C< pEE@CC: C6=62D65 2 `c\A286 HC:EE6? @C56C :? yF=J] %92E @C56C 2==@H65 D@>6 4=2:>D E@ 7@CH2C5[ :?4=F5:?8 3C6249 @7 4@?EC24E[ 3C6249 @7 E96 :>A=:65 4@G6?2?E @7 8@@5 72:E9 2?5 72:C 562=:?8[ 2?5 E@CE:@FD :?E6C76C6?46 H:E9 3FD:?6DD C6=2E:@?D]k^Am

kAmw@H6G6C[ 96 5:D>:DD65 2 5672>2E:@? 4=2:> 2?5 2 D64@?5 3C6249 @7 4@?EC24E 4=2:>]k^Am

kAmq2E496=56C 2?5 96C 2EE@C?6J 7:=65 2 >@E:@? 7@C C64@?D:56C2E:@? @7 E96 5672>2E:@? 4=2:>[ 2?5 pEE@CC: 8C2?E65 :E @? ~4E] g]k^Am

kAmq2E496=56C 4=2:>D E92E 4@F?EJ @77:4:2=D :?E6C76C65 H:E9 96C H@C<[ 7@C465 96C @FE 2?5 =2E6C 5672>65 96C] w6C 4@?EC24E[ H9:49 H2D 7:CDE D:8?65 :? a_a` 2?5 6IE6?565 EH:46[ H2D D6E E@ CF? E9C@F89 a_af]k^Am

kAmr@F?EJ r@>>:DD:@?6CD r9F4< |4v66 W#\|@F=E@?3@C@F89X 2?5 w2C@=5 !2C<6C W#\(@=763@C@X 5:5 E96:C @H? :?G6DE:82E:@?[ H9:49 A=2465 3=2>6 @? q2E496=56C 7@C 72:=:?8 E@ >66E 7:?2?4:2= 5625=:?6D[ :?E6C76C:?8 H:E9 A2JC@==[ 42FD:?8 56=2JD 2?5 6D42=2E:?8 4@DED @7 E96 2??6I 4@?DECF4E:@? AC@;64E[ 2>@?8 @E96C 4@>A=2:?ED]k^Am

kAm%96 962C:?8 7@4FD65 962G:=J @? q2E496=56C’D 5672>2E:@? 4=2:>D[ H9:49 DE6> 7C@> DE2E6>6?ED >256 3J 4@F?EJ @77:4:2=D :? C6DA@?D6 E@ 96C C6D:8?2E:@? 2?5 :? 2? :?E6C?2= :?G6DE:82E:@? C6A@CE 4@>>:DD:@?6CD D92C65 H:E9 %96 r@?H2J s2:=J $F?[ H9:49 =2E6C AF3=:D965 2 DE@CJ]k^Am

kAmx? 2 4@FCE 7:=:?8[ q2E496=56C’D 2EE@C?6J[ #@3:? |2=@?6 42==65 E96 :?G6DE:82E:@? “3@8FD” 2?5 2 “D92>]”k^Am

kAmx? 9:D yF=J c @C56C[ pEE@CC: 28C665 H:E9 E96 4@F?EJ E92E :E 92D DE2EFE@CJ :>>F?:EJ 3642FD6 E96 4=2:> 5:5?’E 2==686 E96 4@F?EJ @77:4:2=D H6C6 “C64<=6DD @C H2?E@? 2D E@ E96 F?=2H7F=?6DD @7 E96:C 4@?5F4E]” qFE 96 C6G6CD65 9:>D6=7 :7 E96 ~4E] g @C56C]k^Am

kAm“%96 4@FCE 28C66D H:E9 A=2:?E:77D Wq2E496=56CX E92E E96:C 2==682E:@?D\56D4C:3:?8 E96 72=D:EJ @7 E96 4@F?EJ’D DE2E6>6?ED 2?5 E96 4@F?EJ 24E@CD’ 56=:36C2E6 2?5 :?E6?E:@?2= 24E:@?D F?56CE2<6? E@ 5672>6 A=2:?E:77D\DFAA@CE E96 C62D@?23=6 :?76C6?46 2E E9:D ;F?4EFC6 E92E E96 4@F?EJ 24E@CD 5:5 ?@E C62D@?23=J 36=:6G6 :? E96 =2H7F=?6DD @7 E96:C 4@?5F4E[” D2:5 pEE@CC:] “x7 E96 r@F?EJ 24E@CD 5:5 ?@E C62D@?23=J 36=:6G6 :? E96 =2H7F=?6DD @7 E96:C 4@?5F4E[ :>>F?:EJ 5@6D ?@E 2AA=J]]] p44@C5:?8=J[ E96 4@FCE 8C2?ED A=2:?E:77D’ >@E:@? E@ C64@?D:56C]”k^Am

kAm%96 ;F586 2=D@ 5:D28C665 H:E9 E96 4@F?EJ’D 4=2:> E92E DE2E6>6?ED 7C@> 4@F?EJ @77:4:2=D E92E q2E496=56C 72:=65 E@ A6C7@C> 2?5 >:DEC62E65 6>A=@J66D 2C6 “?@?\24E:@?23=6 DE2E6>6?ED @7 @A:?:@?]”k^Am

kAm%96 4@F?EJ 2=D@ 2C8F65 E92E q2E496=56C H2D 2 =:>:E65\AFCA@D6 AF3=:4 7:8FC6] !F3=:4 7:8FC6D 92G6 2 9:896C 32C E92? AC:G2E6 4:E:K6?D E@ AC@G:?8 5672>2E:@? 282:?DE E96>] pEE@CC: 2=D@ 5:D28C665 H:E9 E96 4@F?EJ E92E q2E496=56C :?G:E65 2==6865=J 5672>@ECJ DE2E6>6?ED H:E9 96C C6D:8?2E:@? =6EE6C] q2E496=56C E@@< F>3C286 2E 4@F?EJ 6>A=@J66 |6==:D2 $62>2?D’ 92G:?8 2FE9@C:EJ @G6C E96 7:?2?46 56A2CE>6?E[ D2J:?8 $62>2?D 92D ?@ 6IA6CE:D6 :? E9:D 7:6=5] $96 D2:5 4@>>:DD:@?6CD 4C62E65 2 9@DE:=6 H@C< 6?G:C@?>6?E]k^Am

kAm“tG6? :7 q@??:6’D C6D:8?2E:@? =6EE6C 4@F=5 C62D@?23=J 36 4@?DECF65 2D AC@>AE:?8 2 C6DA@?D6 7C@> E96 4@F?EJ[ DF49 2?E:4:A2E65 C6DA@?D6 H@F=5 36 7C@> E96 4@F?EJ E@ A=2:?E:77D Wq2E496=56CX[ ?@E 7C@> E96 4@F?EJ E@ 2 E9:C5 A2CEJ[” D2:5 pEE@CC:] “%9FD[ 5:D>:DD2= @? E96D6 8C@F?5D :D ?@E H2CC2?E65]”k^Am

kAm}@ 7FEFC6 4@FCE 52E6D 2C6 D4965F=65]k^Am