A Pocono Country Place Property Owners Association v. Sciarrone [1]

A Pocono Country Place Property Owners Association and several of its members have sued Robert Sciarrone, the operator of The Pocono SpeakEasy [2], a forum "[d]edicated for our First Amendment Right to speak out" on issues related to the Pocono region of Pennsylvania. According to the Pocono Record [3], "Sciarrone often has criticized the board openly in the past for what he views as mismanagement and failure to address quality-of-life concerns in the APCP community."

The plaintiffs' complaint [4] alleges that statements on Sciarrone's site are "false, defamatory and libelous." The complaint does not identify the specific statements plaintiffs assert are defamatory.

In July 2008, Sciarrone filed preliminary objections [5] to the complaint, arguing that the plaintiffs had failed to adequately identify the "exact false and defamatory statements that have caused [them] harm."

On September 15, 2008, the court issued an order sustaining Sciarrone's objections and granting the plaintiffs 20 days to file a more specific amended complaint. The plaintiffs then filed an amended complaint and a motion for a preliminary injunction. Sciarrone filed objections to these pleadings in late September.

Update:

11/2008 - Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint, and Sciarrone filed objections to it.

12/4/2008 - Plaintiffs filed a third amended complaint.

12/29/2008 - Sciarrone removed the case to federal court (3:08-cv-2312) - M.D. Pa.

01/22/2009 - Plaintiffs moved to remand the case back to state court.

03/25/2009 - According to Sciarrone [6], the case was remanded to state court.