Two $5,000 slander lawsuits were denied in small claims court last week when the plaintiff failed to prove damages.
Tony Dahlin of Los Angeles sued his ex-wife Theresa Dahlin and her employer, St. Marks Catholic School in Venice, saying his ex-wife told people he was a cocaine addict, child molester and a drunk. “(She’s) been spreading stories all around town,” the man told Commissioner Donna Groman Wednesday.
The commissioner didn’t take long to reach a judgment. She denied both $5,000 claims without hearing from the defendants, indicating later that in order to find someone guilty of slander, the plaintiff must first prove damages.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 25, 2002. Read the original PDF.