Court Opinion

ID: 9495943
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 16:13:48.346038+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:57:16.647725
License: Public Domain

GRITZNER, District Judge,
dissenting.
The essential elements of a cause of action for defamation in Arkansas have been outlined as follows:
An action for defamation turns on whether the communication or publication tends or is reasonably calculated to cause harm to another’s reputation.
In order to establish a claim of defamation, a party must prove the following elements: (1) The defamatory nature of the statement of fact; (2) that state*683ment’s identification of or reference to the plaintiff; (3) publication of the statement by the defendant; (4) the defendant’s fault in the publication; (5) the statement’s falsity; and (6) damages.
Little Rock Newspapers, Inc. v. Fitzhugh, 330 Ark. 561, 954 S.W.2d 914, 918 (1997) (citations omitted). Because I believe the majority opinion essentially eliminates the sixth element, I must respectfully dissent.
“A plaintiff must prove that the defamatory statement(s) have been communicated to others and that the statements have detrimentally affected those relations. The law does not require proof of actual out of pocket expenses.” Ellis v. Price, 337 Ark. 542, 990 S.W.2d 543, 546-47 (1999). “A plaintiff must establish actual damage to his reputation, but the showing of harm is slight.” Id. (citing United Ins. Co. of Am. v. Murphy, 331 Ark. 364, 961 S.W.2d 752, 756 (1998)).
The majority relies upon Hogue v. Ameron Inc., 286 Ark. 481, 695 S.W.2d 373, 374 (1985), for the principle that a plaintiffs testimony that her reputation has been injured can be sufficient evidence of harm, and upon Little Rock Newspapers, Inc., 954 S.W.2d at 920-21, for the concept that harm to a plaintiffs reputation can be demonstrated by evidence that others think less of the plaintiff because of the defamatory statements. The Hogue court concluded that plaintiff had testified regarding harm to his reputation, but the court did not describe the nature of that evidence. Hogue, 695 S.W.2d at 374. The Fitzhugh court later observed “[n]ot withstanding the holding in Hogue, the question still remains as to what particular type of proof is sufficient to sustain a jury’s verdict in favor of a plaintiff in a defamation action.” Fitzhugh, 954 S.W.2d at 920-21 (emphasis added).
In 1998, Arkansas' abandoned the per se damages rule in defamation cases. United Ins. Co. of Am., 961 S.W.2d at 755. The Arkansas Supreme Court announced, “[f]rom the date of this opinion forward, we hold that a plaintiff in a defamation case must prove reputational injury in order to recover damages.” Id. at 755. Therefore, in cases in which a private plaintiff sues a private defendant and a defamatory statement is shown, the damage element could no longer be presumed.7 Id.
What constitutes actual damages in an Arkansas defamation action is helpfully illustrated by the quality of evidence in Ellis v. Price. Ellis, 990 S.W.2d at 543. In Ellis, the plaintiff was three months pregnant when two women called her husband and told him the baby was not his. Id. at 545. Ellis brought a defamation suit alleging damages of “injury to her reputation, personal humiliation, embarrassment, weight loss, difficulty sleeping, and loss of appetite.” Id. The case proceeded to trial, where defendants’ motion for a directed verdict at the close of evidence was denied and the jury awarded significant compensatory and punitive damages. Id.
The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the Ellis verdict on appeal. Id. at 546. The court emphasized that a showing of damages was required to recover in a defamation case and, although slight, Ellis had suffered damages. Id. at 547. The court pointed to Ellis’ testimony at trial detailing the damage to her relationship with her husband. Id. at 547-48. Ellis testified that although her husband said he did not believe the accusation, he treated her as if he believed it. Id. She testified that after *684receiving the phone call, her husband: (1) was angry; (2) did not sleep in the same room with her for two or three months; (3) doubted her and questioned her whereabouts; (4) would only have brief and infrequent conversations with her; and (5) would make efforts to avoid touching her when they passed each other. Id. at 548. Ellis also testified she went to her parents’ home in Memphis because there was really no reason to be in Little Rock since she and her husband did not have a relationship. Id. Ellis’ husband testified that he was disturbed by the allegation and questioned his wife’s honesty. Id. Thus, the harm in Ellis, while limited to her relationship with her spouse, was specific and based upon facts rather than fears, suspicions, or conclusions by the plaintiff. The Ellis court follows Hogue in allowing the plaintiffs own testimony to be the source of the record evidence, Ellis, 990 S.W.2d at 547, but also requires that it demonstrate actual harm. Id.
This analysis is further developed by the recent case of Faulkner v. Arkansas Children’s Hospital, wherein the Arkansas Supreme Court found the trial court properly dismissed a defamation action because the plaintiff failed to plead facts supporting actual damage to reputation. Faulkner v. Ark. Children’s Hosp., 347 Ark. 941, 69 S.W.3d 393, 403 (2002). The lengthy facts in Faulkner detail a story of untrue retaliatory statements made about the plaintiff which contributed to her suspension and eventual demotion. Id. at 396-99. Faulkner was a nurse coordinator for a special mobile unit at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). Id. at 396. After two years at ACH, members of the hospital staff engaged in conduct aimed at removing Faulkner from her position. Id. The conduct included letters, phone calls, and meetings with ACH administration, alleging Faulkner was unstable and blaming her for errors for which she was not responsible. Id. at 397. Ultimately, ACH determined Faulkner was unstable and demoted her from the coordinator position. Id. at 399. Faulkner sued the hospital and the certain staff on various counts including defamation. Id. The defendants moved to dismiss the case under Arkansas Rule of Procedure 12(b)(6). Id.
The court found Faulkner did not prove the necessary elements of defamation under Arkansas law and dismissal was proper. Id. at 402-03 (“Faulkner has not pled specific facts demonstrating that she has suffered actual damage to her reputation, but has only pled a conclusion to that effect. That is not enough to withstand a Rule 12(b)(6) motion.”).
In this case, Suggs did offer testimony that she believed the allegations had damaged her reputation and that she suffered substantial distress as a result of the conduct during this difficult time in her life. However, if the developing law in Arkansas has meaning, a plaintiffs own conclusions or fears about injury to reputation must be supported by evidence that those conclusions or fears have some basis in fact. For example, “[p]roof of damage to reputation may include: (1) proof that people believed the plaintiff to be guilty of the conduct asserted in the publication, or (2) proof that people thought less of the plaintiff as a result of the publication’s defamatory content.” Little Rock Newspapers, 954 S.W.2d at 921.
It is axiomatic that no injury to reputation can result when the person receiving the communication knows it is not true. The report of a burglary in progress at the residence was, within minutes, determined by the police to be untrue. The various communications to the Little Rock Police Department may not have been protected by a qualified privilege under the circumstances of this case, but they *685were still made by concerned family members questioning the conclusion of suicide and inviting further investigation by law enforcement. The record reflects this is commonly seen by the police in cases of suicide. Police utilize such information in the process of their investigation which by its essential nature withholds a determination of the accuracy of the allegations pending confirmation. In fact, the Little Rock Police Department concluded the death was a suicide and determined to close any further investigation. Thus, the only persons to whom the defendants published the allegations found them to be in all material respects, if not totally, false.
The allegedly defamatory material is in the police files, only available pursuant to a Freedom of Information request and then possible disclosure. The only requests in the record came from attorneys for the plaintiff. There is no record of other publication from the police files. Even assuming a Freedom of Information request might allow for damaging publication, it has yet to occur.
Officer Moore’s testimony that such a communication is taken seriously by the police could harm a person’s reputation, and that he would not want such a letter written about him or placed in a police file, does not alter the analysis. That such a communication is annoying or could harm a person’s reputation does not prove the element of damage. That police take an allegation seriously does not rise to defamation in the face of the investigatory process with a contrary conclusion.
Other than Officer Moore, the only witness who read the letter was Suggs’ friend Connie Tapp. Tapp only knew about the letter because Suggs showed it to her, and she testified the letter did not affect her opinion of Suggs.
Suggs worries she lost her job because of the letter, yet she offers no proof anyone at Ryder ever saw the letter or knew of the accusations. In addition, she was terminated in June 2001, which was eleven months after the letter was sent to the LRPD.
Suggs testified her relationship with Mamie was noticeably affected the day before Gilbert’s funeral. This was weeks before the allegedly defamatory letter was sent. Furthermore, Suggs testified she had not seen Mamie for over a year and a half prior to Gilbert’s death.
Proof of a claim of defamation requires a showing of damages. Little Rock Newspapers, 954 S.W.2d at 918. While the harm to reputation may be slight under Arkansas law, Ellis, 990 S.W.2d at 547, it must still meet that minimum. While a plaintiffs own testimony may be the source of the evidence, the substance of the evidence must still demonstrate actual harm. Id. I believe the district court erred in not sustaining the Motion for Judgment as A Matter of Law, and I would reverse.

. The doctrine of presumed damages had already been abolished in defamation cases where a private plaintiff sues a media defendant in Little Rock Newspapers, Inc. v. Dodrill, 281 Ark. 25, 660 S.W.2d 933 (1983).