Romaine v. Kallinger

A true-crime book about a serial killer described victim Maria Fasching as compassionate and caring toward the less fortunate, and stated that Romaine (plaintiff), an old friend of Fasching's, had agreed to visit her on the day she was killed because Fasching wanted news about a junkie the two women knew who was in prison. Romaine sued the book's author and publisher (defendants) for defamation, claiming the passage falsely implied she associated with criminals and damaged her professional reputation as a drug counselor and social worker. The trial court granted summary judgment to the defendants, and the appellate division affirmed.