Dixon v. The Watchdog [1]

Johnny “J.D.” Dixon sued Guy Martin, Bill Cochran, Melvin Douglas, and Sandy Martin, the editors and coordinator of The Conroe Watchdog [2], a print newsletter and website that describes itself as providing "[t]he unfiltered truth about Conroe politics and your tax dollars." 

According to the Houston Community Newspapers [3], Dixon sued over statements in a September 2006 edition of "The Watchdog" that accused him of using money and alcohol to buy votes during the 2006 Conroe City Council runoff election between Councilman Jay Ross Martin and his brother Guy Martin, editor of the newsletter and website.  At trial, Jay Ross Martin, who eventually won the election, adamantly denied the accusations, and testified that he would never buy votes and, based on what he knows about Dixon, neither would Dixon. 

In July 2008, a Montgomery County jury ruled in favor of the defendants, finding that the statements in the September 2006 publication of “The Watchdog” were not defamatory, the Houston Community Newspapers reported [4].