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Monday, July 20, 2009
Courts - Impact of anonymous online newspaper reader comments on trials
This July 17th ILB entry is headed: "Venue changed in LaPorte County judge's case; 200 anonymous online newspaper reader comments entered in evidence." It came to mind this morning when I read Eugene Volokh's blog entry about a Tennessee murder trial headed "Court Refuses To Order Restrictions on Reader Comments at Media Web Pages Related to Death Penalty Trial." In the case, per the opinion, the defendants:
requested that this Court order (1) media outlets to disable a portion of their websites (their internet forums) to prohibit web users from posting comments about any stories related to this case; (2) require media outlet internet users wishing to utilize the internet forums to use their true names and addresses; (3) or that this Court establish guidelines for acceptable comments on the internet forums and employ real-time monitors to ensure compliance. In Defendant Cobbins' written motion, he asserts that the intensive media coverage generated by this case “has fueled hostile threats, accusation, and diatribes by the public ... directed toward [the defendant], his co-defendants, and toward the attorneys who have been appointed by this Court to represent the various defendants.”The opinion, and Volokh's observations, are worth reading.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 20, 2009 09:54 AM
Posted to Courts in general