# David E. Cooper v. Ralph M. Johnson, Jr.

> Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · January 15, 1979 · 590 F.2d 559

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9465410

## Case

- **Full name:** David E. COOPER, Appellant, v. Ralph M. JOHNSON, Jr., Appellee
- **Court:** Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- **Decided:** January 15, 1979
- **Citations:** 590 F.2d 559; 1979 U.S. App. LEXIS 17608
- **Precedential status:** Published
- **Opinion:** Concurrence by Widener
- **Judges:** Hall, Hoffman, Widener
- **Cited by:** 29 later opinions in the Frix Law Library

## Citator (automated)

- No negative treatment found by the automated citator. That is not the same as a confirmation that the case is good law; read the citing cases.
- Full citator and citing cases: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9465410

## Opinion text

WIDENER, Circuit Judge,
concurring:
I concur in the opinion of the court and in the result; yet I would add a word.
I think this case has nothing to do with freedom of expression in the Pickering sense. The record discloses beyond doubt that this was the private complaint of a disgruntled deputy, disappointed that his name was not put in the local newspaper, who plainly intended to bait and insult the sheriff, his employer, and to claim immunity by the device of a letter, ostensibly at least, directed to the editor of the paper. The deputy could only have expected to be fired, which was what happened.

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9465410. Public record. Not legal advice.