DEFAMATION COMPLAINT — PER SE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Caption
2. Parties
3. Jurisdiction and Venue
4. Factual Allegations
5. Per Se Category
6. Cause of Action — Defamation Per Se
7. Damages
8. Prayer for Relief
9. Verification
10. Signature Block

I. CAPTION

IN THE [________________________________] COURT OF [________________________________]

COUNTY OF [________________________________]

Case No.: [________________________________]

[________________________________], Plaintiff,

v.

[________________________________], Defendant(s).

II. PARTIES

1. Plaintiff [________________________________] ("Plaintiff") is:
   - ☐ An individual residing at [________________________________], State of [________________________________]
   - ☐ A business entity organized under the laws of [________________________________]

2. Defendant [________________________________] ("Defendant") is:
   - ☐ An individual residing at [________________________________], State of [________________________________]
   - ☐ A corporation organized under the laws of [________________________________]
   - ☐ A media organization with principal offices at [________________________________]
   - ☐ Other: [________________________________]

III. JURISDICTION AND VENUE

3. This Court has subject-matter jurisdiction pursuant to [________________________________].

4. The amount in controversy exceeds $[________________________________], exclusive of interest and costs.

5. Venue is proper because:
   - ☐ The defamatory statement was published in this county
   - ☐ Defendant resides or maintains a principal place of business in this county
   - ☐ Plaintiff suffered reputational injury in this county

IV. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS

6. On or about [__/__/____], Defendant made the following statement(s) to third parties:

"[________________________________]"

7. The statement was communicated via:
   - ☐ Written publication (libel)
   - ☐ Oral utterance (slander)
   - ☐ Online post / social media
   - ☐ Broadcast media (television / radio / podcast)
   - ☐ Other: [________________________________]

8. The statement was published to the following third-party audience: [________________________________].

9. The statement is false. The true facts are: [________________________________].

10. Plaintiff's status for First Amendment purposes:
    - ☐ Private individual — negligence standard applies (Gertz, 418 U.S. 323)
    - ☐ Limited-purpose public figure — actual malice standard applies
    - ☐ Public official — actual malice standard applies (Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254)

V. PER SE CATEGORY

11. The defamatory statement falls within the following recognized per se category:

• ☐ Imputation of a serious criminal offense — The statement accuses Plaintiff of committing [________________________________], a felony / crime of moral turpitude. See Restatement (Second) of Torts § 571.
• ☐ Imputation of a loathsome disease — The statement falsely attributes to Plaintiff a condition of [________________________________]. See Restatement (Second) of Torts § 572.
• ☐ Imputation injurious to business, trade, or profession — The statement impugns Plaintiff's fitness in the occupation of [________________________________]. See Restatement (Second) of Torts § 573.
• ☐ Imputation of sexual misconduct or unchastity — The statement alleges that Plaintiff [________________________________]. See Restatement (Second) of Torts § 574.

12. Because the statement is defamatory per se, general and presumed damages are available without proof of special damages.

VI. FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION — DEFAMATION PER SE

13. Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates by reference all preceding paragraphs.

14. Defendant's statement was a false assertion of fact (not opinion) concerning Plaintiff.

15. The statement was unprivileged and was published to one or more third parties.

16. The statement is defamatory per se because it falls within the category identified in Paragraph 11.

17. Defendant acted with the requisite degree of fault:
    - ☐ Negligence (private-figure plaintiff)
    - ☐ Actual malice (public-figure / public-official plaintiff)

18. As a direct and proximate result, Plaintiff suffered presumed damages to reputation, standing, and emotional well-being.

VII. DAMAGES

19. Plaintiff seeks the following damages:
    - ☐ Presumed / general damages in an amount to be determined at trial
    - ☐ Special damages for documented economic losses of $[________________________________], including: [________________________________]
    - ☐ Punitive / exemplary damages based on Defendant's malice, oppression, or fraud
    - ☐ Emotional distress damages
    - ☐ Injunctive relief — Order requiring Defendant to retract or remove the statement
    - ☐ Attorneys' fees and costs where permitted by statute

VIII. PRAYER FOR RELIEF

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff respectfully requests that this Court:

A. Enter judgment in favor of Plaintiff and against Defendant;

B. Award presumed and general damages in an amount to be proven at trial;

C. Award special damages in the amount of $[________________________________];

D. Award punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish and deter;

E. Issue a permanent injunction requiring Defendant to retract and remove the defamatory statement;

F. Award Plaintiff attorneys' fees and costs of suit; and

G. Grant such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper.

IX. VERIFICATION

I, [________________________________], declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of [________________________________] that the foregoing is true and correct.

Executed on [__/__/____] at [________________________________].

_________________________________________
Plaintiff Signature

X. SIGNATURE BLOCK

Respectfully submitted,

_________________________________________
[________________________________]
Attorney for Plaintiff
State Bar No. [________________________________]
[________________________________] (Firm Name)
[________________________________] (Address)
[________________________________] (City, State, ZIP)
[________________________________] (Telephone)
[________________________________] (Email)

STATE-SPECIFIC NOTES

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Restatement (Second) of Torts §§ 558–574 (1977)
• New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964)
• Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., 418 U.S. 323 (1974)
• CACI Nos. 1700–1704 (California Civil Jury Instructions — Defamation Per Se)
• Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc., 472 U.S. 749 (1985)