Opinion ID: 883677
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 19

Heading: defamation count ii

Text: Sacco asserts that the District Court erred when it granted HCIP and Sorlies' motion for summary judgment on Count II, which alleges that the defendants defamed her by falsely reporting to Defendant Dighans that Ms. Sacco had committed a crime by stealing negatives from HCIP. HCIP counters that the District Court ruled that Sorlies' comments to Dighans and Schreiber were absolutely privileged. They further argue that comments by Sorlies to Sacco's employer should not be considered by this Court because the cause of action for these comments was dismissed when the District Court granted Sacco's motion for summary judgment. We agree that the subissue of Sorlies' comments to Sacco's employer is not before the Court at this time. Sacco filed a motion for summary judgment on the limited subissue of alleged defamatory comments by Glenn Sorlie to Sacco's employer in order to dispose of all issues and appeal her case. The Sorlies' comments to Dighans and Schreiber, the city attorney, are, however, at issue in the instant case. We will discuss these two categories of comments separately. Section 27-1-804, MCA, governs whether a communication is privileged. The statute provides: What communications are privileged. A privileged publication is one made: (1) in the proper discharge of an official duty; (2) in any legislative or judicial proceeding or in any other official proceeding authorized by law; (3) in a communication without malice to a person interested therein by one who is also interested or by one who stands in such relation to the person interested as to afford a reasonable ground for supposing the motive for the communication innocent or who is requested by the person interested to give the information; (4) by a fair and true report without malice of a judicial, legislative, or other public official proceeding or of anything said in the course thereof. Sacco contends that the Sorlies falsely informed Dighans that she had committed a crime by stealing photographs and proof sheets. These statements are alleged to have been communicated to Dighans prior to Sacco's arrest, and in fact, formed the basis for her arrest. Sacco states that because no legislative or judicial proceedings were under way when the alleged statements were made, the privilege afforded by § 27-1-804, MCA, was not available to the Sorlies. We agree. Section 27-1-804(2), MCA, states that a privileged publication is one made in any legislative or judicial proceeding or in any other official proceeding authorized by law.... Clearly, a report by a citizen to the police is neither a legislative nor a judicial proceeding. The question then becomes whether the report is an official proceeding authorized by law. In this jurisdiction we answer that question in the negative and find support for our conclusion in the Restatement (Second) of Torts. Section 611 of the Restatement (Second) of Torts involves Reporting of Official Proceedings or Public Meetings. Comment h of that section provides as follows: An arrest by an officer is an official action, and a report of the fact of the arrest or of the charge of crime made by the officer in making or returning the arrest is therefore within the conditional privilege covered by this Section. On the other hand statements made by the police or by the complainant or other witnesses or by the prosecuting attorney as to the facts of the case or the evidence expected to be given are not yet part of the judicial proceeding or of the arrest itself and are not privileged under this Section. Section 611, comment h at 301. Although we are not concerned here with a report of an official proceeding or public meeting, this section does provide parameters for deciding whether a report to the police is an official proceeding. We agree that a report to the police by a citizen is not an official proceeding. Moreover, even though Shors v. Branch (1986), 221 Mont. 390, 720 P.2d 239, involved interpreting § 27-1-804(1), MCA, not subsection (2) which is at issue here, we find its conclusion that unsolicited complaints to the police are not privileged under § 27-1-804, MCA, to be further support for our conclusion. See also; Niles v. Big Sky Eyewear (1989), 236 Mont. 455, 771 P.2d 114. Therefore, we conclude that the Sorlies' statements to Dighans are not privileged and Sacco's cause of action against the Sorlies and HCIP for defamation concerning statements made to Dighans prior to arrest may stand. We hold that the District Court erred in granting summary judgment on this subissue of Sacco's claim for defamation. Sacco also contends that the Sorlies' statements to City Attorney Schreiber were defamatory. These statements were made after Sacco had been arrested on December 31, 1990, and had pled not guilty on January 7, 1991. The complaint states that the Sorlies, on January 30, 1991, supplied additional false and misleading information to Belgrade City Attorney William Schreiber. Such statements fall under § 588 of the Restatement (Second) of Torts which addresses statements by witnesses in judicial proceedings and provides: A witness is absolutely privileged to publish defamatory matter concerning another in communications preliminary to a proposed judicial proceeding or as a part of a judicial proceeding in which he is testifying, if it has some relation to the proceeding. Section 588 at 250. Sorlies' statements to the City Attorney are communications preliminary to a proposed judicial proceeding under Restatement (Second) of Torts, § 588 at 250. However, comment e of § 588 states that [a]s to communications preliminary to a proposed judicial proceeding, the rule stated in this Section applies only when the communication has some relation to a proceeding that is actually contemplated in good faith and under serious consideration by the witness or a possible party to the proceeding. Section 588, comment e at 251. (Emphasis added.) Sacco has alleged that the statements made by the Sorlies were false and defamatory. She alleges that the allegations brought by the Sorlies which formed the basis for the criminal action against her for the theft of the photos and proof sheets were not made in good faith. Therefore, there is a question of fact as to whether the proceeding was contemplated in good faith by the Sorlies. This issue of fact should be determined by the jury. If the jury does determine that the allegations brought by the Sorlies which resulted in the criminal charges against Sacco were contemplated in good faith and under serious consideration, the communications between the Sorlies and City Attorney Schreiber are absolutely privileged. If the jury determines that the allegations brought by the Sorlies which resulted in the criminal charges against Sacco were not contemplated in good faith and under serious consideration, the communications are not privileged and the jury must then determine whether the alleged statements were defamatory. We hold that the District Court erred in granting summary judgment on this subissue of the claim of defamation.