Henderson v. Henderson
Rhode Island Superior Court
1996 WL 936966 (1996)
- Written by Craig Conway, LLM
Facts
Susan Henderson (plaintiff) filed suit for defamation against her ex-husband, Brian Henderson (defendant) after he continuously mailed a steady stream of letters to Susan after the couple’s separation referring to her as a “wacco” and a “whore” on the envelope. For nearly a three-year period, Brian sent the objectionable letters to Susan and then to Susan’s father, sister, and the parties grown daughter using the same negative language. Brian additionally claimed that Susan was mentally unstable. At trial, Susan produced copies of the letters and witnesses who corroborated her claims. Susan also provided evidence that Brian had initialized checks sent to her that had obscene connotations on them. Susan motioned for an order permitting discovery on the issue of punitive damages. In response, Brian filed a motion to strike Susan’s claim for punitive damages. After a hearing, the court ruled on both motions.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Williams, J.)
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