Blair et ux. v. Sharp
Blair and his wife sued Sharp in the Washington County Circuit Court for slander. The alleged statement was that Blair "had sworn a lie," with no context provided. The court ruled for Sharp because the statement was insufficient and not actionable due to lack of context. Blair appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court, which affirmed the lower court's decision, stating the absence of context rendered the statement non-actionable, both at common law and under statute.