Opinion ID: 744117
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Statement One--The Signed Death Certificate

Text: 13 In order for a statement to be defamatory, it must assert a defamatory fact against the plaintiff. Covey v. Detroit Lakes Printing Co., 490 N.W.2d 138, 143 (Minn.Ct.App.1992). Statement one, however, did not refer to Michaelis. The report did not claim that Michaelis signed the death certificate. Indeed, the report as a whole made clear that Dr. Watson, the Becker County Coroner, was in charge of assigning the cause of death in Jensen's case. Because, in the context of the entire report, it was clear that this statement did not refer to Michaelis, the district court correctly granted defendants summary judgment on this issue.