Lawless v. Muller

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Gummeee, Chief Justice.

The plaintiff, a deputy collector of the internal revenue department for the district of Mew Jersej', brought this action against the defendant for libel, alleging that he, in a certain affidavit, falsely and malicously accused the plaintiff of having solicited and received from him a bribe of $700 in connection with the filing of a belated income tax return. The defendant denied liability upon the grounds — first, that the statement contained in the affidavit was true; second, that if untrue it was not made maliciously, and…