“On October 8, 2009 a jury returned a verdict based in a case in which an employee claimed that he had been defamed by an email broadcast that contained truthful accusations against him. Massachusetts is one of a handful of states that permits a plaintiff to bring a defamation suit regarding truthful statements made by a defendant — if those statements were made with actual malice.”

Read more at Digital Media Law here along with analysis of the case.

Cases like these make it clear that it’s important to keep in mind that sites like the Electronic Frontier Foundation merely provide overviews of legal principles and that there can be important exceptions. The EFF guide to Online Defamation Law is a good example of that in light of some of the principles covered in the state-specific Noonan vs. Staples case.