Romaine v. Kallinger
New Jersey Supreme Court
537 A.2d 284 (1988)
- Written by Mary Pfotenhauer, JD
Facts
In “The Shoemaker,” a book about a serial killer, Maria Fasching is described as person who was compassionate and cared for those who were less fortunate. A passage from the book notes that Randi Romaine (plaintiff) was an old friend of Maria’s, and states that on the day Maria was killed she agreed to visit Romaine because she wanted to hear news about a junkie that she and Romaine knew who was in prison. Romaine sued the book’s author, Flora Schreiber, and publisher Simon & Schuster (defendants) for defamation, claiming that the sentence about the junkie falsely accuses her of associating with criminals, and injured her reputation as a drug counselor and social worker. The trial court dismissed the defendants on a motion for summary judgment. The Appellate Division affirmed. Romaine appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Handler, J.)
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