405.7 Issues on Plaintiff's Claim - Plaintiff a Public Official or Public Figure The issues you must decide on the claim of (claimant) against (defendant) are: whether (defendant) [made] [published] [broadcast] the statement concerning (claimant) as (claimant) claims; and, if so, whether (defendant)'s statement concerning (claimant) was in some significant respect a false statement of fact[*] and [tended to expose (claimant) to hatred, ridicule, or contempt] [or] [tended to injure (claimant) in his business, reputation, or occupation] [or] [charged that (claimant) committed a crime]. A statement is in some significant respect false if its substance or gist conveys a materially different meaning than the truth would have conveyed. In making this determination, you should consider the context in which the statement is made and disregard any minor inaccuracies that do not affect the substance of the statement. If the greater weight of the evidence does not support (claimant)'s claim on these issues, then your verdict should be for (defendant). However, if the greater weight of the evidence supports (claimant)'s claim on these issues, then: You must decide whether clear and convincing evidence shows that at the time the statement was made [defendant] knew the statement was false or had serious doubts as to its truth. If clear and convincing evidence does not show that [defendant] knew when the statement was made that it was false, or that [he] [she] [it] had serious doubts as to its truth, your verdict should be for (defendant). However, if clear and convincing evidence supports (claimant)'s claim that (defendant) knew when the statement was made that it was false, or that [he] [she] [it] had serious doubts as to its truth, and the greater weight of the evidence supports (claimant)'s claim on the other issues on which I have instructed you, then your verdict should be for (claimant). [Proceed to 405.10, Defamation Damages.] [* See Notes on Use]