Brown v. Piner

Feb 5, 1869
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Robertson
JUDGE ROBERTSON

delivered the opinion op the court.

This action of slander charges the false and malicious utterance of ‍​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‍the following words by the appellant against the appellee: “He sheared two of Zack Austin’s sheep, meaning to charge that plaintiff had stolen the wool from two of Zack Austin’s sheep.” “Jesse Piner sheared ‍​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‍Zack Austin’s sheep, and kept the loool; thereby meaning to charge plaintiff with the crime of larceny; all of which was slanderous.”

Neither of these charges imports per se a criminal act. The innuendo can not change or enlarge ‍​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‍the legal effect of the utterances as alone properly interpreted and understood. And therefore, the words themselves not necessarily importing actionable slander, the circuit court erred in *519instructing the jury to find for the plaintiff in ‍​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‍the action, if they believed that the charge as recited in the petition had been proved; and consequently, on the motion for a new trial, the verdict for damages ought to have been ‍​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‍set aside.

Wherefore the judgment on the verdict is reversed, and the cause remanded for a new trial.