Court Opinion

ID: 9553922
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 19:37:28.524106+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:32:36.286059
License: Public Domain

SOSA, Senior Justice, specially concurring. I concur with the majority that reversal of the Court of Appeals is proper. I, however, feel that the majority should, in the exercise of judicial economy, go further and hold that the alleged defamatory statements were privileged as a matter of law. I refer to our earlier opinion in this case, filed December 31, 1986, wherein we concluded that plaintiff's complaint failed to state a cause of action, and therefore the default judgment was void. Not only did we hold that defendant had demonstrated a meritorious defense, but also that the allegations of the complaint, taken as true, reveal that the allegedly defamatory statements were privileged as a matter of law. I concur with the majority holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in setting aside the default judgment, but would have based it on the reasons set forth in our opinion filed December 31, 1986 and would have gone further for the reason set forth above.