U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, 1945

Somerville v. Acacia Mut. Life Ins.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit · Decided June 4, 1945 · Arnold, Edgerton, Miller

149 F.2d 836; 80 U.S. App. D.C. 144; 1945 U.S. App. LEXIS 2696 (Federal Reporter, Second Series)

Counsel

Mr. James W. Somerville, pro se., Messrs. Roger J. Whiteford and John J. Wilson, both of Washington, D. C., for appellee.

Cases that cite this one

3 later published cases cite this decision.

Curtis Publishing Company v. Harry H. Vaughan (D.C. Cir. 1960)
Harold R. Olinger v. American Savings and Loan Association (D.C. Cir. 1969)
Williams v. Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith (D.C. Cir. 1950)

This list shows which later cases cite this one. It does not say how they treated it, and no review of that has been done. Not a substitute for Shepard’s or KeyCite — verify before relying.

Opinion of the Court

PER CURIAM.

One part of the language on which the plaintiff relied in this action for libel was incapable of a defamatory meaning. The other part was obviously true. Regardless of the defense of privilege, therefore, the District Court was right in directing a verdict for the defendant. Meyerson v. Hurlbut, 68 App.D.C. 360, 362, 98 F.2d 232, 118 A.L.R. 313; Sullivan v. Meyer, 67 App. D.C. 228, 91 F.2d 301; cf. Sullivan v. Meyer, 78 U.S.App.D.C. 367, 141 F.2d 21.

Affirmed

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.