Malouf v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co.

I dissent. Appellant in his brief states:

“The controlling question presented on this appeal is whether or not the communication from the defendants to Heber J. Grant, set forth in haec verba in the complaint, is libelous per se.”

The law of libel is stated in Nichols v. Daily Reporter Co., 30 Utah 74, 83 P. 573, 574, 3 L. R. A. (N. S.) 339, 116 Am. St. Rep. 796, 8 Ann. Cas. 841, as follows:

“ * * * Written derogatory or disparaging words which impute to a person the commission of a crime, or degradation of character, or which have a tendency to injuriously affect him in his office or trust,…