Heller v. Roberts

Decision Date08 November 1967
Docket NumberNo. 113,Docket 31515.,113
Citation386 F.2d 832
PartiesHarry HELLER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Burton ROBERTS, Defendant-Appellee.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit

Harry Heller, New York City, pro se. Harry Alan Sherman, Pittsburgh, Pa., of counsel.

Robert E. Hugh, Asst. Atty. Gen. (Louis J. Lefkowitz, Atty. Gen. of New York, Samuel A. Hirshowitz, First Asst. Atty. Gen., of counsel), for defendant-appellee.

Before WATERMAN, MOORE and HAYS, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

The complaint claims federal jurisdiction "based on the Federal Civil Rights statutes 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1983 (1964), the Constitution of the United States and the 14th Amendment thereto." Actually, the allegations would appear to be in support of an action for slander arising out of the utterance by defendant, then an Assistant District Attorney, in open court of an allegedly derogatory word concerning plaintiff, a lawyer, admitted to practice in the State of New York. Plaintiff endeavors to bring this action within federal jurisdiction by asserting that he has been deprived "of his property and personal rights and professional status, contrary to the Constitution and laws of the United States" by reason of the alleged slander. From an order granting defendant's motion to dismiss the complaint, plaintiff appeals.

The court below properly held that, construing the complaint most liberally, the alleged slander gives rise to no federal claim and that whatever bases there might be for a tort action under state law "they do not fall within the aegis of the Civil Rights Act."

Order affirmed.

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17 cases
  • Gonzalez v. Leonard
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — District of Connecticut
    • 28 Agosto 1980
    ...520, 524 & n. 4 (2d Cir.) (Friendly, C. J.), cert. denied, 414 U.S. 872, 94 S.Ct. 102, 38 L.Ed.2d 90 (1973). Cf. Heller v. Roberts, 386 F.2d 832 (2d Cir. 1967) (per curiam); Association for the Preservation of Freedom of Choice v. Simon, 299 F.2d 212, 214 (2d Cir. 64 The application of Paul......
  • Peoples Cab Co. v. Bloom
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Pennsylvania
    • 19 Agosto 1971
    ...by a public official "is not cognizable under the Civil Rights Act." Church v. Hamilton, 444 F.2d 105 (3d Cir. 1971); Heller v. Roberts, 386 F.2d 832 (2d Cir. 1967); Hopkins v. Wasson, 227 F.Supp. 278 (E.D. Tenn.1962), affd. 329 F.2d 67 (6th Cir. 1964); Johnson v. Hackett, 284 F.Supp. 933 (......
  • Javits v. Stevens
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York
    • 24 Septiembre 1974
    ...solely on the alleged damage to their reputations, that 42 U.S.C. § 1983 does not mandate actions based upon defamation. Heller v. Roberts, 386 F.2d 832 (2d Cir. 1967); Gorman v. Lukowsky, 431 F.2d 971 (6th Cir. 1970); El-Em Band of Pomo Indians of Sulphur Bank Rancheria v. 49th Dist. Agric......
  • Hahn v. Sargent
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — District of Massachusetts
    • 10 Enero 1975
    ...Section 1983, however, does not provide a remedy for defamation claims. Gorman v. Lukowsky, 431 F.2d 971 (6th Cir. 1970); Heller v. Roberts, 386 F.2d 832 (2d Cir. 1967); cf. Bell v. Hood, 327 U.S. 678, 66 S.Ct. 773, 90 L.Ed. 939 (1946); Yglesias v. Gulfstream Park Racing Ass'n, 201 F.2d at ......
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