Just before christmas I ran into a problem with a so called friend. I was having problems with my boyfriend and was in the process of moving out into a ne apartment next door to her( the friend ). I was back and forth with whether I was going to do it because we have been together for 13 years. I was also offered a job at the same place where the friend worked at and was supposed to be started in a week or so. Also we would have had the same landlord. Well I decided I was going to work things out with the boyfriend and we were just going to try things apart for awhile. So I went and signed a lease with the landlord. Well the friend started acting weird telling me the boyfriend would never change. And just getting very demanding. And then it all started. A week before christmas, she claimed that someone had stole checks from her check book,now keep in mind I spend almost every day with her talk to her on the phone when I wasn't at her her or running her around. And about 3 weeks prior from that she had told me me that her bank was over drawn and she didn't know why and in really didn't pay too much attention to it. Well then I find out that she is telling everyone and their brother that she thinks I stole her checks from her check book, I have already started moving my thinks into my apartment and she starts calling my cell phone saying I have until noon to get all my things out of the apartment or they will be thrown out,after I had already signed a lease with the landlord. So I'm like OK I really don't need this stress. So I was supposed to be started this new job at the same place where she works at well that fell through as she told every where there that I stole all these blanks checks and that she had me arrested and that I then went to jail, so the store didn't hire.

I was never arrested, I was never even questioned by the police, so my question would be what would this fall under, and would she could arrested for this. She is a complete scam arrested. As the store she was working for fired her once they realized what was going on . The woman that felt bad for her after she told her the sob story of how I apparently stole all this money took her shopping for christmas presents for her kids and of course she never paid her back and she was stealing from the store. She is already a felon from a 5 dwis and is on felony probabtion. BUt would this just be slander or what else could it be ?

Well of course its slander but what can you do about it. She will only bring up the stolen checks again and that would open a whole can of worms. Cut your losses, distance yourself from her and it will go away.

Yes its clearly slander. Normally, I would say to forget about it. But you have suffered some real quantifiable damages here. First, is your moving costs to move out of the apartment. Since you signed a lease there may be penalities for breaking it. In addition there are lost wages while you look for a new job. These all add up. So, yes I would add up all these losses and file suit.

This is not legal advice, merely legal information:

Can you prove she said these things or that you didn't get the job because of what she said? If you can, you might have a strong case. Talk to a lawyer.

In some jurisdictions, someone who has slandered you by alleging criminal behavior is guilty of slander PER SE which means you are entitled to general damages... you do not have to have specific or special damages which is true economic loss.

From what you have written, it appears that you have suffered both general and special damages.

Again, not legal advice but legal information. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by susangpyp

In some jurisdictions, someone who has slandered you by alleging criminal behavior is guilty of slander PER SE which means you are entitled to general damages...you do not have to have specific or special damages which is true economic loss.

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Very good answer. But for the benefit of the OP (and mine) can you define what "general damages" entails. I assume specific damages are the things I mentioned in my response.

General damages are damages you don't really have to prove. In other words you can get general damages for being slandered without having to prove that you were damaged to the x dollar amount. A court can say, "You lost the job and x in what you would have earned..." and award specific damages or it can say, "Your reputation was slandered and you were accused of a criminal act. The court awards you $3000.00." That's general as in you don't need to prove a dollar amount of damage.

Ok, but who sets such an amount and how do they do so? Is it the judge? Does the plaintiff sue for a figure?