Opinion ID: 2329283
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Statements made in the course of a judicial proceeding.

Text: In his defamation case, Mr. Spikes alleged that he was defamed when Mr. McCabe attempted to secure an affidavit from Dr. Taylor concerning respondent's attempted bribery and when the District sought a continuance in the Byars case which included the allegedly defamatory statement in a supporting memorandum. Submitting a memorandum of law in support of a motion filed in the course of a legal proceeding is cloaked with the absolute privilege that attaches to statements made within the judicial process. See, e.g., Arneja v. Gildar, 541 A.2d 621, 623 (D.C. 1988) (In this jurisdiction, an attorney is protected by absolute privilege to publish false and defamatory matter of another during the course of or preliminary to a judicial proceeding, provided the statements bear some relation to the proceeding.) (internal quotations and citations omitted). The allegedly defamatory statement in the supporting memorandum was obviously relevant to the District's request for a continuance, as it was made for the express purpose of investigating whether respondent was trying to influence Dr. Taylor, a potential witness in the case. The affidavit sent to Dr. Taylor for her signature was prepared after respondent had initiated the Byars action against the District and was directly related to the case. We have held that even statements made prior to the initiation of a judicial proceeding, while an attorney is investigating a potential claim, are embraced within the absolute privilege. See Finkelstein, Thompson & Loughran v. Hemispherx Biopharma Inc., 774 A.2d 332, 342 (D.C. 2001). The privilege for statements made in the course of judicial proceedings is more than a defense to liability. The privilege is intended to afford an attorney absolute immunity from actions in defamation for communications related to judicial proceedings. Id. at 340 (internal quotation and brackets omitted). As absolute immunity attached to the submission to the court of the memorandum of law, and the attempt to secure an affidavit from Dr. Taylor related to the Byars case, it was clearly in contravention of existing law for respondent to predicate his defamation suit upon these statements.