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Toward A Modern Defamation Law In Virginia: Questions Answered, Questions Raised, David C. Kohler

University of Richmond Law Review

In 1964, the United States Supreme Court decided that defamatory statements are entitled to some first amendment protection. In later cases, the Court has continued to redefine the constitutional landscape of defamation, but many questions remain unanswered. In their attempts to accommodate the Supreme Court's new doctrine, the Virginia state courts have often struggled with the task of redefining their common law rules so that they are consistent with the constitutional prescriptions. Since 1985, the Virginia Supreme Court has issued five opinions attempting to clarify various aspects of defamation law in Virginia. Part I of this article examines these opinions …