Capital Settles Libel Case Before Retrial

Capital Settles Libel Case Before Retrial

The libel case involving The (Annapolis) Capital and local attorney John R. Greiber, Jr. was settled out of court in mid-December for an undisclosed amount. The case had been set for retrial, following Greiber’s decision not to accept a reduced award amount in the fall.

"While we are happy that the case is over with, we wish we had a better outcome," said Managing Editor Tom Marquardt.

It’s unfortunate that the verdict will stand in court records and affect other newspapers in the future, added Marquardt.

Greiber filed the lawsuit claiming a 1997 editorial written by Marquardt contained false statements and caused him to lose business. The jury found statements in the editorial were "false and defamatory" and made with "actual malice."

The jury awarded Greiber damages as compensation for lost income and humiliation, but did not award any punitive damages.

Last fall, a judge reduced the amount awarded by the jury from $2.5 million to $562,000 on a motion by the newspaper. Greiber had the option to accept the reduced award or ask for a retrial on damages. The settlement was reached Dec. 15, before the retrial was set to start in January.