A Montana blogger accused an attorney of being a thug and a thief.
Lawyer jokes aside, the attorney didn’t find the blog post funny and sued for defamation.
The federal judge hearing the case ruled that the blogger was not a “journalist” apparently because she didn’t have journalist credentials or experience, and wasn’t affiliated with a traditional media organization. Since she isn’t a journalist, the state shield law designed to protect journalists won’t apply.
Looks like the blogger is going to be on the hook for $2.5 million.
Unless reversed on appeal, this case will have a chilling effect on bloggers.
Death of Internet Civility Changes Blog Rules
Although I’m a big fan of free speech as a Web lawyer, there are some limitations.
Unfortunately, some of the fruits and nuts inhabiting cyberspace have decided that it’s perfectly okay to show up at this blog to personally attack me, clients, and friends with name-calling plus false and defamatory accusations.
Because Internet anonymity brings out the worst in some people, it’s now time to change the rules a bit.
Web Lawyer Blog Comment Moderation
All comments will be reviewed by a blog administrator before being posted.
New Web Lawyer Comment Guidelines
Simple new comment guidelines have been put into place.
Please continue to contribute your thoughts on blog posts.
Thank you for understanding why these changes have been put into place. It’s a shame that a few crazies made this necessary.
To your online success!
-Mike the Web lawyer