Hickey v. Settlemier

Plaintiff appeals a summary judgment for defendant in this defamation action. The trial court granted the judgment on the ground that, as a matter of law, defendant’s statements were either true or substantially true or defendant had not published them. We reverse.

Plaintiff sells animals for medical research and has a federal license to do so. Defendant is plaintiffs neighbor. Defendant made the allegedly defamatory statements in an interview on the television program, “20/20.” The pertinent statements were:

“[Correspondent]: * * * [M]ore than 300 people in central Oregon have complained that…