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Florida Jury: Be Careful What You Post on the Internet
Posted by Noel Sheppard on October 11, 2006 - 11:19.
It?s fascinating that this decision came on September 19 and virtually went unreported up until now, but a Florida woman has been awarded a startling $11.3 million in her ?Internet defamation? lawsuit. Without question, this decision has startling ramifications for Internet denizens, bloggers, and message board posters, as it makes it quite clear that folks can?t just write whatever they want regardless of facts with total impunity. As reported by WebWire (emphasis mine throughout):
It is not often a person is awarded $11.3 million dollars from a jury of their peers. But in the case of Sue Scheff and her organization Parent?s Universal Resource Experts, Inc. (PURE) v. Carey Bock, the jury felt compelled to send a very strong message ? which they have. Included in their $11.3 million dollar verdict, they awarded Sue Scheff and PURE $5 million in punitive damages. ?The punitive damages speak volumes,? says Scheff, ?it was set to punish the defendant for what she did to my children and me. Just because you don?t like someone or what they do, it does not give you carte blanche to post false statements about a person on the Internet.?
The article continued, documenting threatening Internet exchanges that are altogether too common to those that spend a lot of time at message boards or comment sections:
In the meantime, Carey Bock maliciously and intentionally started a campaign on Internet forums against Sue Scheff and her organization, PURE. According to a witness during trial, Ms. Bock?s animosity towards Ms. Scheff had to do with the fact Sue Scheff would not disclose the name of a minor who was raped and Ms. Bock needed this child?s name for a potential documentary she would profit from. Ms. Bock lost that opportunity and went on a campaign to destroy Sue Scheff and PURE. Bock accepted $12,500.00 from WWASPS? attorney, the very organization she claimed harmed her two boys, and the organization that Sue Scheff successfully defeated in a jury trial in August 2004.
One of the witnesses testified Carey Bock was infuriated that Sue Scheff would not provide her with the information about the child. The jurors saw Ms. Bock?s e-mails and postings, one of which threatened: ?Sue, you are going down, I bet you are scared to death!?
There?s no question the jury was trying to make a serious statement:
After the trial was over, the jurors waited in the hall to meet with Ms. Scheff. They embraced her and told her that they wanted to send a message that people can?t use the Internet to invade a person?s privacy or to destroy lives. They encouraged Sue Scheff to continue her good work with children and families.
As Sgt. Esterhaus used to say, ?Let?s be careful out there.?
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Dave R. Says:
October 11, 2006 - 11:39
Yeah, I nearly fell out of my chair this morning. I even put this link over in the forum section, but I guess no one has seen it yet. Scary stuff. Too bad no defense was mounted by the defendant.
Here's a link to the story I saw:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/200 ... case_x.htmlogin or register to post comments ยป
SportPolitics Says:
October 11, 2006 - 12:37
This is a story about liberals, and how they can attack the Foley right wing. PURE is a group of parents who help other parents with their troubled teenagers(WHO GOT RAPED BY PEDO ADULTS IN SPECIAL HOMES - for instance). Bock is some lady from Louisiana who had her home wiped out and couldn't attend court. BROWARD COUNTY - Al gores libhaven central is the place the verdict took place upheld.
So what we have is a bunch of " cheeeeeeeeldren" pity pots- angry that someone would possibly try to "harm" the "protectors" against the molesters, or the people doing good for "problem childs"...
So they all got in a big Foley HUFF, and slapped down a gigantic award, all to "send a message" - because BOCK was so broke she couldn't even afford a lawyer...
The $12,500 sheBOCK got from "WWASPS" - was obviously PITY PAYMENT - a nice investment for the $$$$$ fallout sure to come from a large settlement never payable by anyone's imagination settlement.
What we have here is liberals at work. LIBS speaking their truth to power.
IT's DISGUSTING - a web of victims and victim helpers being victims of the highest order victimizing others for their own personal gains, and lying and sensationalizing the outcome.
The reason this is reported NOW, is so that it can be linked to "FOLEY child abuse and molesting".
