Is a person required to sue for defamation in the state where the statement was made?
No, a person does not have to sue for defamation in the state where the statement was made. In Florida, defamation is governed by the laws of the state in which the false statement was published or spoken. This means that the law of the state where the statement is made will apply in determining if the statement is defamatory. However, a person can choose to bring a lawsuit in any jurisdiction where the statements were read or heard. A person may choose to bring the lawsuit in the state where the statement was made, the state where they were injured (the "injury state"), or in any state where the statement was read or heard. The choice of where to bring the lawsuit can depend on a variety of factors, such as the size of the jury pool, whether or not the laws of the state are favorable to defamation claims, the resources available to the litigant, or the liklihood that the court in the state may award punitive damages. Ultimately, it is up to the person seeking to sue for defamation to decide which jurisdiction is most advantageous to them.
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