Case Name: James F. O'Rorke, Jr., et al., Respondents, v. Edmund S. Carpenter, Appellant
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1981-12-22
Citations: 55 N.Y.2d 798
Docket Number: 
Parties: James F. O’Rorke, Jr., et al., Respondents, v Edmund S. Carpenter, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York Reports
Volume: 55
Pages: 798–799

Head Matter:
James F. O’Rorke, Jr., et al., Respondents, v Edmund S. Carpenter, Appellant.
Decided December 22, 1981
APPEARANCES OF COUNSEL
William M. Pinzler for appellant.
Stanley A. Teitler for respondents.

Opinion:
OPINION of the court
On summary consideration, order affirmed, with costs, and the question certified answered in the affirmative. Plaintiffs may defeat defendant's claim of qualified privilege by demonstrating that the alleged defamatory statements were known to be false at the time of publication. As plaintiffs have sufficiently raised a triable issue in this regard, defendant's motion for summary judgment was properly denied.
Concur: Chief Judge Cooke and Judges Jasen, Gabrielli, Jones, Wachtler, Fuchsberg and Meyer.