Montgomery Investigative Services, Ltd. v. Horne

CHARLES E. MOYLAJSf, JR., Judge

(retired, specially assigned).

The rule is that a defendant may not, without liability, publish defamatory information about a plaintiff. An exception to the rule is that sometimes a defendant enjoys a qualified privilege to publish defamatory information in order to serve some greater need. The exception to that exception is that the qualified privilege may be lost if it is abused. This case involves a couple of exceptions to the exception.

On April 11, 2003, the appellee and cross-appellant, Robert T. Horne, filed a complaint in the Circuit Court for Montgomery…