PumpGate: Sembler Caves
Ray Bradbury looking debonair as he prepares to enter Judge Shames' courtroom on 12/28/06. Judge Shames was to rule on all outstanding PumpGate pre-trial motions.
12-28-06 The long awaited trial was to have occurred on Feb 12, 2007. Sixth Circuit Judge Mark I. Shames had called a public hearing on Dec. 28, 2006 for the purpose of hearing and acting on all outstanding pre-trial motons. But before the hearing commenced Mr. Englander, representing Ambassador Sembler and his wife, requested a private meeting between himself, the judge and Thomas McGowan, Ray Bradbury's attorney.[continued]
Sembler concedes [con't from top] During that hearing Mr. Englander announced they were dropping their charges of intentional infliction of emotional distress and of invasion of privacy--the heart of their case. The stalking charge with its temporary injunction against Mr. Bradbury is still in effect.
We asked Mr. Bradbury for a comment after the hearing but all he could say is "I'm speechless." Tom McGown had this to say, "We're in a state of shock. We never thought thay had a case on the charges they dismissed. In the moment of truth they blinked. Our win, in large part, was due to Richard not caving. He kept fighting. When push came to shove, they caved."
Both sides have filed briefs on the stalking issue. But the case against Ray Bradbury as originally brought by the Semblers has been dropped. We left a message on Mr. Englander's answering machine at about 1045 EST on 12-28-06 asking for his comments. As of time of publishing, we had not yet heard from him but will give his comments when he returns our call.
