Opinion ID: 1286492
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Can Trooper Richmond Recover For Defamation Absent Concrete Evidence Of Special Damages?

Text: Thompson's next argument is that a peace officer's SLAPP suit [9] cannot be justified under constitutional principles unless at minimum he pleads and proves concrete, objectively verifiable special damage. [10] Br. of Appellant at 69. Thompson frames this as a constitutional argument, recognizing that this alleged error was not preserved for appeal, having not been raised at trial. In re Griffith, 102 Wash.2d 100, 102-03, 683 P.2d 194 (1984). The Court of Appeals did not consider this issue under RAP 2.5(a) because Thompson failed to offer compelling legal authority to support his argument that a presumption of damages has an impermissible chilling effect on First Amendment rights. Richmond, 79 Wash. App. at 342, 901 P.2d 371. Because the United States Supreme Court has held states may permit juries to presume damages in defamation actions upon a showing of actual malice, Thompson has failed to raise a federal constitutional issue. See Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc., 472 U.S. 749, 761, 105 S.Ct. 2939, 2946, 86 L.Ed.2d 593 (1985); Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., 418 U.S. 323, 349, 94 S.Ct. 2997, 3011-12, 41 L.Ed.2d 789 (1974). As a result, we will not review this issue. [11]