Legal Question in Constitutional Law in Maryland

where can i find a court case where the person has freedom of press about military recruitment and a local councilman is using defamation towards her to get her out of office?


Asked on 2/15/13, 7:54 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Cedulie Laumann Arden Law Firm, LLC

Your question isn't entirely clear. Defamation is based on state law while freedom of press typically involves 1st Amendment constitutional rights. Sometimes the two areas intersect and to protect free speech the law recognizes a different standard when speech is about someone in public office. As a result, it is harder for a public figure to win a defamation case than it is for the average person.

If you are doing research yourself, to find a court case dealing with a particular issue you'll usually need to search through reported opinions. The state law library is located in Annapolis where you can search for free, or you could use a service like Lexis or Westlaw or Fastcase -- these provide online searchable databases of reported opinions. Google scholar also has some cases searchable online without cost.

Of course at some point, particularly if a legal issue is complex, you might find it easier to retain an attorney trained in legal research to find a case on-point.

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Answered on 2/15/13, 8:25 am


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