The Supreme Court of Virginia acted swiftly last month to overturn a lower court’s takedown order directing a disgruntled consumer to remove critical online postings about a contractor. The high court vacated a Dec. 7 order from Fairfax Circuit Judge ...

Tagged with: Constitutional Defamation Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Thomas A. Fortkort Supreme Court of Virginia

An Alexandria Circuit Court says a Virginia carpet cleaning business may subpoena information on persons who posted anonymous complaints about the business on Yelp.com, a California-based social networking site. The court said it would enforce a subpoena served by the ...

Tagged with: Alexandria Circuit Court Defamation Judge James C. Clark Social Media Supreme Court of Virginia News

A bank that paid $70,000 to settle a defamation action after mistakenly starting foreclosure proceedings against a Rockingham County woman has been ordered to pay an additional $7,500 for its delay in delivering the settlement checks. U.S. Magistrate Judge B. ...

Tagged with: Defamation Federal Courts Judge B. Waugh Crigler

A personal trainer who said she lost her job because of statements made by the husband of a woman she allegedly pursued romantically can’t sue him. The husband was protected from a defamation claim because his complaints about his wife’s ...

Tagged with: Defamation Judge Louis Allen Sherman Norfolk Circuit Court

When the business relationship between a computer seller and its marketing firm soured, the emails started to fly. The emails may have made matters worse, but a federal judge drew the line at a suit for defamation when he dismissed ...

Tagged with: Defamation Federal Courts Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

A dog trainer who claimed he was defamed by online accusations of animal abuse was entitled to tell a jury how many people “liked” the offending Facebook page, a federal judge has ruled. Nevertheless, U.S. District Judge James Cacheris said ...

Tagged with: Defamation Social Media

An advertising company can’t sue a competitor for notifying potential customers about critical Internet postings, says a Norfolk federal court. Businesses know how online chatter can shape their reputations. With whole websites devoted to consumer complaints, wireless word-of-mouth can amplify ...

Tagged with: Defamation Federal Courts Judge Robert G. Doumar

An employer did not defame a nurse supervisor when it noted in her employment records that she had been terminated for misconduct related to her reports that she had been cursed at by someone she supervised on a healthcare call-in ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Defamation Employment

An orthopedic surgeon who said he was forced out of a job at Inova Fairfax Hospital can sue the hospital and several doctors for defamation for complaints about his conduct that could be deemed factual statements, not just opinions about ...

Tagged with: Defamation Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Jane Marum Roush

A church that filed a defamation lawsuit based on commentary posted on a website cannot prevent the defendant from publishing any information he gains through discovery. A Fairfax Circuit judge denied the church’s request for a protective order and said ...

Tagged with: Defamation Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Charles James Maxfield