Holsten v. Uptown Update and What the Helen [1]

In the midst of a lawsuit over efforts to redevelop Wilson Yard [2] in Chicago, developer Peter Holsten sent a subpoena [3] to Google, Inc. for information regarding two anonymous Chicago blogs. 

In December 2008, community group Fix Wilson Yard [4] filed a lawsuit in opposition to a plan by Holsten's development company and the City of Chicago to redevelop the Wilson Yard area of Chicago.  According to Holsten's attorney, Holsten has asked Google, which hosts the Uptown Update [5] and What the Helen [6] blogs, to provide "all the information for [the] two particular sites [7]."

It is not clear what connection the blogs have to the lawsuit.  However, both blogs are known as Uptown-related watchdog sites: Uptown Update discusses a wide range of information regarding the Uptown area, while What the Helen (now defunct) focused on the 2007 election campaign of Uptown alderman Helen Schiller.

Update:

The  Chicago News-Star [8] is reporting that Holsten's attorney sent subpoenas to two additional websites operated by "neighborhood block club" Buena Park Neighbors [9] and the Uptown Neighborhood Council [10].  

The neighborhood organizations are being asked to produce all posts in "the form of a blog, chat room comment, website (sic) post or any other form that relates to the Wilson Yard development, Alderman [Helen] Shiller, or Uptown development."

In addition, the subpoenas ask for all documents pertaining to the six Uptown residents named as plaintiffs in the Fix Wilson Yard lawsuit.

Neither the blog sites nor Buena Park Neighbors are affiliated with Fix Wilson Yard or its lawsuit. Katharine Boyda, the current president of the Uptown Neighborhood Council, which was originally formed to oppose the Wilson Yard development, is one of the resident-plaintiffs named in the lawsuit.

Matt Zimmerman from EFF told the News-Star that Holsten's attorney had extended the February 4, 2009 return date for the subpoenas so the parties can discuss the requests.

Update: 

06/22/09 - EFF filed a motion to quash the subpoenas on behalf of the Does.

07/09/09 - The court stayed enforcement of the subpoenas.

8/21/09 - EFF filed a renewed motion to quash [11] the subpoenas on behalf of the Does.