Where a defendant is accused of making a false and defamatory statement as a public official, they may be immune from prosecution for those statements if they were made within the scope of their authority, even if they are false.The 1st District Appellate Court affirmed the decision of Cook County Associate Judge James E. Snyder.Robin Masters and Renee Murphy were both employed as probationary correctional officers in the Cook County Department of Corrections (Department). On Jan. 13, 2018, Murphy informed Sgt. William …