Court Opinion

ID: 9668253
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 02:07:30.422488+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:44.126210
License: Public Domain

PAGE, Justice
(dissenting).
I dissent with respect to the disposition of this case. The court articulates the proper standard for qualified privilege in defamation cases and then fails to follow it. The court remands for a determination of whether Trooper Chase acted with actual malice. While I agree that the trial court is generally in a better position to decide factual disputes, here, where the parties have conducted extensive discovery, and where the evidence, when viewed in a light most favorable to Carradine does not establish actual malice, I believe the defamation claim should be dis*738missed. Carradine has had ample opportunity to establish malice, but has failed. This court can, and should, as can and should trial courts, dispose of defamation claims when there are no genuine issues of material fact with respect to the element of actual malice. This claim, on the facts before the court, does not merit the continued expenditure of judicial and party resources.
Finally, there is a need to comment on a point of terminology. A great deal of confusion could be avoided were we to use the term “privilege” in the context of defamation eases and not use the term “immunity.” Generally, immunity is from suit, while privilege relates to liability. See, e.g., Imbler v. Pachtman, 424 U.S. 409, 96 S.Ct. 984, 47 L.Ed.2d 128 (1976) (discussing absolute immunity under 42 U.S.C. § 1988); Barr v. Matteo, 360 U.S. 564, 79 S.Ct. 1335, 3 L.Ed.2d 1434 (1959) (discussing privilege); Restatement (Second) of Torts § 10 (1965) (same).