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| From: joeb (Original
Message) |
Sent: 8/26/2005 9:27
PM |
Judge
protects sheriff's critics
The Hillsborough
County Sheriff's Office wanted a Web site to be forced
to reveal identities of individuals who posted critical
comments.
By JENNIFER LIBERTO, Times Staff
Writer
Published August 26, 2005
A
Hillsborough County circuit judge said the sheriff's
office could not force a Web site to reveal identities
of posters who criticized how the agency handled the
Aisenberg case.
Judge William Levens agreed that
posters who write anonymously on leoaffairs.com, a Web
site geared toward current and retired law enforcement,
have a first amendment right which trumps the sheriff's
office right to discover information to defend a civil
case.
The case involves Steven and Marlene
Aisenberg, who sued the sheriff's office for violating
their civil rights.
An anonymous poster wrote on
Leoaffairs.com that the sheriff's office "will be
writing a check and a big one" in the civil
case.
"The shame of it is we will never know the
real truth, because of our screw-ups,'' the message
said.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
attorney Chris Sabella argued that the poster should be
identified, because the poster could have information
that could be useful to the sheriff's office
defense.
Leoaffairs.com attorney Luke Lirot said
the sheriff's office was attempting to "silence
individuals who have been critical of the
investigation.''
[Last modified August 26, 2005,
13:42:10]
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