Truong v. Nguyen CA4/3
Robert Lee Tran Truong appeals from the judgment entered against him after the trial court sustained a demurrer, without leave to amend, to his complaint for defamation. The court concluded the complaint was barred by the one-year statute of limitations set forth in Code of Civil Procedure section 340, subdivision (c) (section 340(c)).
Although Truong does not contend he filed his lawsuit within one year of when the allegedly defamatory statements about him were published in newspapers, he argues the judgment should nonetheless be reversed because he has been gravely wronged by the slander alleged in his complaint. He asks that we “disregard[] the ‘normal interpretations’” of the statute of limitations so that he may prove the merit of his complaint. We cannot do that. Section 340(c) requires that all lawsuits for defamation be filed within one year, no matter how egregious the statement, or how much harm it has caused. We have no power to change the statute, nor can
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