IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURT OF APPEALS
No. 86-678
WILLIAM THOMAS, et al.,
Appellants,
vs.
THE WASHINGTON TIMES, INC
Appellee
APPEAL FROM THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
CIVIL DIVISION
BRIEF FOR APPELLEE
ALLEN J. FARBER
LUCINDA J. BACH
Schwalb, Donnenfeld, Bray & Silbert
A Professional Corporation Suite 300 East
1025 Thomas Jefferson St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20007
(202) 965-7910
Title Page
I. Statement of the Case 2
II. Statement of the Issue 3
III. Legal Argument 3
A. The Complaint Violates Rule 8 of the Superior Court Rules. 4
B. The Complaint fails to State a Claim for Intentional Emotional Distress. 5
C. The Complaint is Legally Insufficient to Support an Action for Libel. 7
1. The article is not of and
concerning Appellants.
2. The article in question is not sus
ceptible of defamatory meaning. 7
3. The article contains protected
opinion. 9
D. The Complaint Fails to Sate a Calim for
Civil Conspiracy 13
IV. Conclusion 13
Cases Cited Page
Afro-American Publishing Co. v. Jaffe
366 F.2d 649, 654 (D.C. Cir. 1966) (en bane) 9
Avin v. Verta
106 A.2d 145 (Mun.Ct.App. D.C. 1956) 4
Bielitski v. Obadiak
15 Sask. 153, 65 D.L.R. 627 (1922) 5
Blackwelder v. Millman,
522 F.2d 766, 771-72 (4th Cir. 1975). 7
Duncan v. WJLA-TV, Inc.
10 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1935, 1937 (D.D.C. 1984) 8
Eltra corporation v. Ringer,
579 F.2d 294, 298 (4th Cir. 1978) 7
Fowler v. Curtis Publishing Co.
78 F.Supp. 303, 304 (D.D.C. 1948), aff'd.
182 F.2d 377 (D.C. Cir. 1950) 8
Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.
418 U.S. 323, 339-40 (1974) 10
Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. v. Roch
160 Md. 189, 153 A.22 (1933) 5
Gregory v. McDonnell Douglas Corp.
552 P.2d 425, 428 (Cal. 1976) 11
Halberstam v. Welch
705 F.2d 472, 479 (D.C. App. 1983) 13
Howard University, 484 A. 2d at 989 9
Johnson v. Johnson Publishing Company
271 A.2d 696, 697 (D.C. 1970). 9
Marinopoliski v Irish,
445 A.2d 339 (D C.App. 1982) 7
National Foundation for Cancer Research
Inc. v. Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.
705 F.2d 98, 100-01 (4th Cir. 1983) 12
Olinger v. American Savings & Loan Assoc
409 F.2d 142, 144 (D.C. Cir. 1969) 9
*Oilman v. Evans
750 F.2d 970, 975 (D.C. Cir. 1984),
cert. denied U.S
105 S.Ct. 2662 (1985).. - 10,11,12
*Peebles v. Rudolph
121 A.2d 264 (Mun.Ct.App. D.C. 1956) 4
Phillips v. Evening Star Newspaper Co.
424 A. 2d 78, 83 (D.C. 1980),
cert. denied 451 U.S. 989 (1981) 9
Pierce, 427 F.Supp. at 186 12
Sere v. Group Hospitalization, Inc.
443 A.2d 33, 37 (1982) 5
Service Parking Corn. v. Washington Times Company
92 F.2d 502, 504 (D.C. Cir. 1937) 7, 8
Simpkins v. Brooks,
49 A.2d 549 (D.C.App. 1946) 7
Spelson v. CBS, Inc.
581 F.Supp. 1195, 1197-99 (N.D.L. 1984),
aff'd. 757 F.2d 1281 (7th Cir. 1985) 11
Summerlin v. The Washington Star Co.
7 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2460, 2461 (D.D.C. 1981) 8
*Waldon v. Covington
415 A.2d 1070 (1982) 5, 6
Authorities Cited
Restatement (2nd) of Torts, Cases principally relied upon are denoted by an asterisk *.
I. II. STATEMENT 0F THE ISSUE
III. LEGAL ARGUMENT
121 A.2d at 265. A similar result is proper here.
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
IV. CONCLUSION
Respectfully submitted,
/s/Lucinda J. Bach
ALLEN V. FARBER (Bar No. 912865)
LUCINDA J. BACH (Bar No. 375366)
Schwalb, Donnenfeld, Bray & Silbert
A Professional Corporation Suite 300 East
1025 Thomas Jefferson St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20007
(202) 965-7910
The undersigned hereby certifies that on the 6th day of October,1986, she served a true and correct copy of the foregoing by U.S. Mail, with postage fully prepaid, as follows:
Mr. William Thomas
Apartment 410
1440 " Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005
/s/Lcinda J. Bach______________
LUCINDY J. BACH (Bar No. 375366)