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Full-Text Articles in Law
Mypillow Lands Hard In Judge Wright’S Court, Michael K. Steenson
Mypillow Lands Hard In Judge Wright’S Court, Michael K. Steenson
Faculty Scholarship
In Smartmatic USA Corp. v. Lindell, Smartmatic sued Michael Lindell and MyPillow, Inc. in Minnesota federal district court, alleging defamation and violation of Minnesota’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act based on Lindell’s claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election, including that Smartmatic voting machines were rigged. This post focuses on Smartmatic’s defamation claim against Lindell and MyPillow.
Public Official, Figures, And Controversies In Minnesota Defamation Law, Michael K. Steenson
Public Official, Figures, And Controversies In Minnesota Defamation Law, Michael K. Steenson
Faculty Scholarship
In Minnesota, the plaintiff in a common law defamation claim is entitled to recover presumed damages in libel and slander per se cases. Those rules change when the First Amendment is injected into defamation cases when the plaintiff is a public official or figure or is a private person involved in a public controversy. A plaintiff who is a public official or figure must prove not only the elements of the common law defamation claim, but also that the defamatory communication was a false statement of fact and prove by clear and convincing evidence that it was made with actual …
Ventura V. Kyle And American Sniper; The Anatomy Of A Public Figure’S Lawsuit, Michael K. Steenson
Ventura V. Kyle And American Sniper; The Anatomy Of A Public Figure’S Lawsuit, Michael K. Steenson
Faculty Scholarship
Chris Kyle's book, American Sniper, detailed his exploits as a prolific Navy SEAL sniper. In a book subchapter Kyle detailed an encounter with a "Mr. Scruff Face" in a San Diego Bar. The book states that Ventura made certain statements that were demeaning of the United States and the Navy SEALS. Scruff Face was subsequently identified by Chris Kyle as Jesse Ventura, former governor of Minnesota. Ventura sued Chris Kyle for defamation, appropriation, and unjust enrichment. Relying on trial court documents, briefs, and the opinions in the case, this article probes those theories of recovery with an emphasis on the …
Controlling Identity: Plessy, Privacy, And Racial Defamation, Jonathan Kahn
Controlling Identity: Plessy, Privacy, And Racial Defamation, Jonathan Kahn
Faculty Scholarship
This Article explores the origins of privacy law in early twentieth century America in relation to the legal solidification of Jim Crow in the aftermath of Plessy v. Ferguson. It considers some distinctively southern aspects of the origins of the right to privacy and argues that by viewing privacy, racial defamation, and Jim Crow in relation to each other, we can gain new insights into each-coming to understand that Plessy was not just about controlling space, or property, or even equality but also about controlling identity itself, and coming to see that in its origins, the right to privacy had …
The Anatomy Of Emotional Distress Claims In Minnesota, Michael K. Steenson
The Anatomy Of Emotional Distress Claims In Minnesota, Michael K. Steenson
Faculty Scholarship
This Article examines the right to recover damages for emotional distress in Minnesota, with emphasis on claims for negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The recovery of damages for emotional distress is subject to varying and perhaps seemingly inconsistent standards. After a brief history of emotional distress law, the Article will discuss claims for emotional distress based on negligence, intentional torts, and statutory violations. These areas are examined in detail to determine the standards for the recovery of emotional harm in Minnesota and to evaluate whether the standards are applied consistently. The Article also examines the right to recover …
Civil Actions For Emotional Distress And R.A.V. V. City Of St. Paul, Michael K. Steenson
Civil Actions For Emotional Distress And R.A.V. V. City Of St. Paul, Michael K. Steenson
Faculty Scholarship
The law of emotional distress is characterized by judicial reluctance to create and expand remedies for emotional injuries. The issue here is whether the Court's decision in R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul will impose further limitations on the right to recover civil damages for the intentional infliction of emotional injury, particular emotional injuries resulting from hate speech. This symposium first examines the applicability of the tort to redress claims based on abusive epithets based on the victim's race, gender, or sexual orientation. The symposium then argues that using this tort in cases involving hate speech should not create constitutional …
Resolving The Paradox Of The Innocent Construction Rule, David Larson
Resolving The Paradox Of The Innocent Construction Rule, David Larson
Faculty Scholarship
The application of the innocent construction rule in defamation cases has led to illogical and questionable holdings. This article will explain the nature of that rule and illustrate its use by focusing on cases arising in Illinois. It will review the recent case of Chapski v. Copley Press, where the Illinois Supreme Court rejected the innocent construction rule, and raise the possibility that additional reform may be necessary in Illinois. Finally, other jurisdictions relying upon similar rules of interpretation will be identified and discussed.