Is it slander or defamation?

[dragonflyva]

I'm in Virginia and have a situation. My home was robbed in October and my neighbor saw and spoke with the person who did it. My neighbor called my family who was watching my home at the time and all together they called the police and filed a robbery report. The person has even since admitted through social media that they did go in my home and get some things but has now changed their tune. The police are not doing their job and investigating due to an issue with my spouse but that's no excuse. I've had a few people ask me about the whole situation and I was honest and said that the person was seen doing it and even admitted to taking things. But they've yet to be arrested. I do feel some discrimination is going on with the police and them not taking this case serious. But now the accused has stated if I say or pursue anymore they will sue for slander or defamation. Do they have a slander case?

 

[Proserpina]

I'm in Virginia and have a situation. My home was robbed in October and my neighbor saw and spoke with the person who did it. My neighbor called my family who was watching my home at the time and all together they called the police and filed a robbery report. The person has even since admitted through social media that they did go in my home and get some things but has now changed their tune. The police are not doing their job and investigating due to an issue with my spouse but that's no excuse. I've had a few people ask me about the whole situation and I was honest and said that the person was seen doing it and even admitted to taking things. But they've yet to be arrested. I do feel some discrimination is going on with the police and them not taking this case serious. But now the accused has stated if I say or pursue anymore they will sue for slander or defamation. Do they have a slander case?

If you're making statements which are actually untrue, you might want to stop doing that. Now. Seriously. Stop it.

 

[Paul84]

I'm in Virginia and have a situation. My home was robbed in October and my neighbor saw and spoke with the person who did it. My neighbor called my family who was watching my home at the time and all together they called the police and filed a robbery report. The person has even since admitted through social media that they did go in my home and get some things but has now changed their tune. The police are not doing their job and investigating due to an issue with my spouse but that's no excuse. I've had a few people ask me about the whole situation and I was honest and said that the person was seen doing it and even admitted to taking things. But they've yet to be arrested. I do feel some discrimination is going on with the police and them not taking this case serious. But now the accused has stated if I say or pursue anymore they will sue for slander or defamation. Do they have a slander case?

Truth is the ultimate defence against defamation, which includes both slander (oral defamation) and libel (written defamation). Whether they have a case against you depends on the quality of the evidence to back up your (and their) assertions.

 

[quincy]

I'm in Virginia and have a situation. My home was robbed in October and my neighbor saw and spoke with the person who did it. My neighbor called my family who was watching my home at the time and all together they called the police and filed a robbery report. The person has even since admitted through social media that they did go in my home and get some things but has now changed their tune. The police are not doing their job and investigating due to an issue with my spouse but that's no excuse. I've had a few people ask me about the whole situation and I was honest and said that the person was seen doing it and even admitted to taking things. But they've yet to be arrested. I do feel some discrimination is going on with the police and them not taking this case serious. But now the accused has stated if I say or pursue anymore they will sue for slander or defamation. Do they have a slander case?

Until someone is actually convicted of a crime, stating or implying the guilt of that person can be seen as defamatory.

As noted by Paul, if you are able to support what you say with evidence of truth, this evidence can be a pretty solid defense to a defamation suit. But right now, you appear to have only the words of others to support your accusations (albeit some of those words are apparently those of the suspect), and people lie.

I recommend that you are very careful what you say or imply about the suspect with your statements to others, and that you are additionally careful about what you say about the police. Reputations are valuable and injuring them can be costly. If there is not enough evidence of guilt to convict the suspect or if the suspect is exonerated, you could find yourself the defendant in a lawsuit.

 

[Zigner]

If you have such damning evidence, you are free to pursue a civil suit against the person.