Are police liable for defamation?

[becca741]

My boyfriend was recently arrested for identity theft. Prior to this arrest, the state troopers called my parents and told them that my boyfriend was a leader in an organized crime ring and was a drug dealer. He has never been arrested nor to our knowledge is being investigated for possible drug charges. I am a 30 yr old educated woman who does not live with her parents. Although theft is obviously a criminal activity, it is a white collar crime and does not evoke the same connotations as would being a drug dealer. The troopers also disclosed personal financial information about him that was in no way related to any crime. They also told my neighbors much of the same and disclosed that he had been "in trouble" for the same thing before. THis is not true. Can the police just go around making such false statements about people? I live in a nice neighborhood and the implications of drug dealing have caused a disruption in the neighborhood. They are fearful that some crazed person wronged by a drug deal gone bad will come by and shoot up the neighborhood!
My parents also refuse to believe that he is not a drug dealer simply because the police told them he was. THis obviously has a caused strained relationship. Is there any recourse?

 

[Michael Wechsler]

The city or state could be liable for the defamatory actions of its employees. The police cannot simply make up false allegations about people and publicize them to whomever they wish. However, there may be a dispute with regard to what was said. The officers could have said that they were investigating whether your boyfriend was involved with this and that bad act. Those words may not be actionable. While there are some strained relationships, if they are within the family it might not be financially worthwhile to sue... however if it has gotten around with regard to what happened, the situation is different.

Do note that while the police do make mistakes, sometimes when you are close to people you overlook some of their suspicious actitivies... I wish you luck and hope it's the last you hear of this situation...

Originally posted by becca741
My boyfriend was recently arrested for identity theft. Prior to this arrest, the state troopers called my parents and told them that my boyfriend was a leader in an organized crime ring and was a drug dealer. He has never been arrested nor to our knowledge is being investigated for possible drug charges. I am a 30 yr old educated woman who does not live with her parents. Although theft is obviously a criminal activity, it is a white collar crime and does not evoke the same connotations as would being a drug dealer. The troopers also disclosed personal financial information about him that was in no way related to any crime. They also told my neighbors much of the same and disclosed that he had been "in trouble" for the same thing before. THis is not true. Can the police just go around making such false statements about people? I live in a nice neighborhood and the implications of drug dealing have caused a disruption in the neighborhood. They are fearful that some crazed person wronged by a drug deal gone bad will come by and shoot up the neighborhood!
My parents also refuse to believe that he is not a drug dealer simply because the police told them he was. THis obviously has a caused strained relationship. Is there any recourse?