Saudi V. Brieven

This is the second appeal in this lawsuit. Appellant, Captain Sheriff Saudi, sued appellee, Captain Ivo Brieven, for defamation (libel and slander), intentional interference with employment relations ("intentional-interference claim"), and intentional infliction of emotional distress ("IIED"). The trial court granted Brieven's motion for summary judgment and rendered a take-nothing judgment against Saudi. The Fourteenth Court of Appeals reversed the judgment and remanded the cause because fact issues existed on Saudi's defamation claims. See Saudi v. Brieven, 2003 WL 1989112, 14-01-00785-CV (Tex. App.---Houston [14th Dist.] May 1, 2003, no pet.) (memo. op.). On remand, Brieven reasserted his summary judgment motion, and the trial court granted it, again rendering a take-nothing judgment against Saudi. In this second appeal, we determine whether (1) the trial court's summary judgment was void and (2) Brieven proved his affirmative defense of qualified privilege to Saudi's defamation claims as a matter of law. We affirm.