Slashdot Mirror
Student Blogger Loses Defamation Case
An anonymous reader writes to tell us about Yaman Salahi, a UC Berkeley student and blogger, who lost a lawsuit brought against him by Lee Kaplan, a journalist for FrontPageMag.com. Kaplan had sued Salahi in California small claims court for tortious business interference and libel, in response to a blog Salahi had set up about him called "Lee Kaplan Watch." Salahi lost in small claims court and then lost an "appeal" — which is essentially a retrial by another small-claims judge. No written opinion was offered with either decision, though all other court filings are available. From Salahi's update on his blog: "...because [Kaplan] sued me in small claims court, I did not have the protections of the anti-SLAPP [Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Policy] statute... I will never know why I lost the initial hearing, or why I lost the appeal, because small claims judges are not obligated to release written opinions with their rulings.... I will never have the opportunity to take this to a real appellate court where my first amendment rights might be protected."
Yes I consider it a legal mistake. Not contacting a lawyer is the most basic legal mistake there is.
What do you mean? This is clearly news of astounding, ground breaking importance to geeks everywhere. Are you implying that it may simply be a boring column-inch whine-fest of a petty dispute between a college kid and a hack that no one cares about? Do you wish to imply this isn't of any interest what-so-ever to any geek, being as it doesn't relate to IT or any other geeky pursuit at all, other than the libel was committed "online" in a "blog". Don't you know that if it it happens on the internet, it must be Slashdot worthy news?
Sir! I am ashamed. Slashdot is the premier place to discuss law, your "rights" (Apparently of the "online" variety, but the "offline" rights get just as much coverage), politics and flame-fests.
Slashdot: abandoning it's core readership since 1999!
MSTCrow5429 wrote:
>
> Yaman Salahi is a de facto supporter of terrorism
You mean he voted for Bush?
"One lawyer in a town starves to death. Two lawyers in a town live in luxury."
Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
I wanted to say, "An ad hominem attack is likely to be a tort. If it was an ad homonym attack, it's likely to be a torte." But that's a homophone.
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
Sir, based upon your post, which I took as legal advice absent any statement to the contrary, I opened up a private medical practice in my home. Now, I have been arrested by the police for impersonating a doctor.
I trust that I will be compensated by you for this in some way.
Your ad here. Ask me how!
I live in the Columbia area of SC
I'm.... I'm so sorry. That's a horrible place to live. I should know.
Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
How would you like to own a GODDAMN QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS?
That would be fine, thankyouverymuch!
it's in my head