There is a legal and moral concept known as moral defamation. This is most evident in cases of murder or negligence. The public is no longer allowed to know the truth about D because he was convicted of an act that he did not commit. Defamation is the wrong-doing of a person that is based on unfounded information. This is a violation of a person's right to privacy and a person's right to be free of such claims.

Libel and slander are both examples of moral defamation. However, in some states, a statement is automatically defamatory if it is false or based on a false statement about the person. False statements about serious crimes, infectious diseases, or incompetence are automatically defamatory. In other words, any statement that damages a person's reputation is considered moral defamation.