Suing a Newspaper Over a Crime Report

**shemar** · 07-13-2005, 02:54 PM

My local newspaper published an article about petty larceny/shoplifting that a women with the same name as mine plead quilty of before the local magistrate. The only difference in our names is a different middle initial and the last letter in her first name is an "i" where mine is a "y". Her age was published at 41 and my age is 49. However, the paper did not give the address and we both live in the same city.

I am concerned that people who know me casually, but not enough to know my middle initial or the last letter in my first name, might not know this other women, and may mistake me as the women in this article.

What should I do? and why are newspapers allowed to print such articles without giving the address so a possible mistaken identity could not happen?

**shemar** · 07-13-2005, 04:12 PM

After reading your defamation law it appears the newspaper is not libel due to a difference in middle initials and ages.

I did call the newspaper and ask them to print something to clarifiy that I am not the women in the article by printing my name, age and address. The person i spoke with at newspaper seemed bothered that i would be concerned and ask them to do this, but said they would print what i asked. I thought i would write a letter to the editor explaining my concern to make sure the person i spoke with will really print what i asked.

Am i wrong to ask the newspaper to do this?

**aaron** · 07-13-2005, 05:15 PM

No, your worry is understandable. Whatever the thoughts of the person you spoke with, it would be a nice gesture for the newspaper to run the clarification.

**shemar** · 07-13-2005, 05:40 PM

Thanks for your response aaron.

Just hope all the people that read original article will read next weeks clarificaiton.

If down the road this article would cause problems for my reputation, what advise do you have?

**aaron** · 07-13-2005, 05:59 PM

Keep a copy of the clarification in your wallet?

I think it is more likely that people who know you will tease you about this, rather than people who know you or later encounter you mistaking you for the similarly named individual.

**shemar** · 07-13-2005, 06:26 PM

Once again thanks for the advise aaron. You are probably right, but there are a few people in this small town that would have a hayday with this, just so they could cause me grief and then laugh about it. A tease is one thing, but using wrong information on someone just to cause grief is another.

Your site is of great value. Hope you keep it for a long time.