Schenck v. Oregon Television, Inc.

In this defamation case, plaintiff appeals from a judgment dismissing his claims against defendants Valentine, Penz and Goebel under ORCP 21, and from a summary judgment in favor of Oregon Television, KPTV and Lars Larson (media defendants). ORCP 47. We reverse.

Defendants Valentine, Penz and Goebel are either elected public officials or public employees who allegedly made defamatory statements about plaintiff. The trial court dismissed them as individual defendants on the ground that they were not proper defendants under ORS 30.285(3)1 and substituted the State of Oregon as the sole party…