Senna v. Walter Florimont & 2400 Amusements, Inc.

In this case, we once again address the degree to which speech, even speech that may disseminate falsehoods damaging the reputation of a person, should be protected from a defamation lawsuit. Balancing the right to speak freely and the right to be secure in one’s good name — determining how much protection should be given to speech at the expense of reputation — is at the heart of this case.

In a general defamation case, a plaintiff claiming to be damaged by a false statement will succeed if he shows that the speaker acted negligently in failing to ascertain the truth of the statement.…