Maethner v. Someplace Safe, Inc.
Case Law- Country
- Country Location
خط العرض: 39.778231903243785
خط الطول: -100.8801256788983
- Country Location (مرتبط Case Law)
- United States
- Decision Date
- 26 يونيو 2019
- Case Status
- جاري النظر فيه
- Case Outcome Procedural
- Reversed and Remanded
- Case Outcome (Disposition)
- الحكم لصالح المدعى عليه
- Keywords
- defamation
- Judicial Body
- المحكمة الاستئنافية
- Case Number
- A17-0998
- Case Summary
The Minnesota Supreme Court dismissed a defamation claim finding that First Amendment protections apply to non-media speakers in defamation actions when the speech at issue concerns a matter of public interest. Kurt Maethner brought a defamation and negligence claim against his former wife Jaquelyn Jorud, and Someplace Safe, Inc., an advocacy organization for victims of domestic violence. Following their divorce, Jorud received assistance from Someplace Safe, became the organization’s spokesperson, and publicly claimed offline and on Facebook that she was a survivor of domestic violence. Jorud did not report domestic abuse issues during her marriage with Maethner. The ex-husband argued that she defamed him and Someplace Safe was negligent by failing to investigate the veracity of Jorud’s statements. The Minnesota Supreme Court held that although Jorud’s statements could be considered defamatory, First Amendment protections could still apply. The Court also held that Someplace Safe acted reasonably in giving Jorud a platform and did not have a duty to investigate the veracity of her statements.
- Case Significance
The decision establishes a binding or persuasive precedent within its jurisdiction.