Help me avoid a lawsuit?

Trouble from whom? Chapman?

If you fear he'll bring a libel suit against you for referring to him as the guy who killed John Lennon, he'd be hampered by the fact that he is the guy who shot John Lennon.

If your concern stems from your character's stated opinion that Chapman is a 'freak', Chapman would have to show damage to his reputation caused by your work in order to prevail.

And doing damage to Mark David Chapman's reputation today would be like trying to crash the same airplane twice. How much worse can it get?

You're allowed to mention the names of other human beings in your fiction, especially those who are public figures.

What you're not allowed to do is make your neighbor John Jones a character in your book.

Chapman works in the prison library. So the worst that could happen, assuming your book becomes popular enough, is that he would come across it in a box of donated material, read it, take offence at your categorization, and, once he got parole, kill you. On a positive note, your death at the hands of the killer of John Lennon would be good for sales.

smcc360 said:

If you fear he'll bring a libel suit against you for referring to him as the guy who killed John Lennon, he'd be hampered by the fact that he is the guy who shot John Lennon.

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Pepsi + keyboard = bad combination

Julie Worth said:

Chapman works in the prison library. So the worst that could happen, assuming your book becomes popular enough, is that he would come across it in a box of donated material, read it, take offence at your categorization, and, once he got parole, kill you. On a positive note, your death at the hands of the killer of John Lennon would be good for sales.

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Thanks so much for brightening my day!

Julie Worth said:

Chapman works in the prison library. So the worst that could happen, assuming your book becomes popular enough, is that he would come across it in a box of donated material, read it, take offence at your categorization, and, once he got parole, kill you. On a positive note, your death at the hands of the killer of John Lennon would be good for sales.

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You are now added to my list of favourite people.

Julie Worth said:

Chapman works in the prison library. So the worst that could happen, assuming your book becomes popular enough, is that he would come across it in a box of donated material, read it, take offence at your categorization, and, once he got parole, kill you. On a positive note, your death at the hands of the killer of John Lennon would be good for sales.

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That is officially the best AW quote of the year. I don't care if it is January!

Julie Worth said:

Chapman works in the prison library. So the worst that could happen, assuming your book becomes popular enough, is that he would come across it in a box of donated material, read it, take offence at your categorization, and, once he got parole, kill you. On a positive note, your death at the hands of the killer of John Lennon would be good for sales.

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Good one!

OP: I've seen plenty of public figures in fictions books so I assume its alright.

I think the rule is you can mention them, but you can't put words in his mouth, unless you can document the source. I'm thinking you're clear but I'm not lawyer.