Haltzman v. Brill

WOOD, J.,

“Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls:

Who steals my purse steals trash; ’tis something, nothing;

’Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands,

But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

And makes me poor indeed.”

Othello, by William Shakespeare.

In a recent case, our Commonwealth Court has observed that “preservation of an individual’s reputation ... is fundamental as it is recognized and protected by the Pennsylvania Constitution.” Simon v. Commonwealth, 659 A.2d 631, 639 (Pa. Commw. 1995). No one can…