DeRosa v. Does [1]

Summary

Threat Type:

Lawsuit

Date:

11/19/2009

Status:

Pending

Location:

Pennsylvania

Verdict or Settlement Amount:

N/A

Legal Claims:

Defamation

On November 19, 2009, Thomas DeRosa, Chairman of the Forward Township Board of Supervisors, filed a complaint in the Court of Common Pleas for Allegheny County against two Doe defendants, asserting claims for defamation. According to news reports from the Pittsburg Tribune-Review,... read full description

Parties

Party Receiving Legal Threat:

Howard and Robin Doe

Type of Party:

Individual

Type of Party:

Individual

Location of Party:

Pennsylvania

Legal Counsel:

Joseph G. Heminger, Brucker Schneider and Porter

Description

According to news reports from the Pittsburg Tribune-Review, the allegations are based on a series of anonymous posts made on the Elizabeth Area Discussion Board, hosted by the website elizabethboro.com. Also according to the Tribune-Review, the posts at issue alleged that DeRosa hired family members to perform work on a recently completed bridge repair project in the Township, and call DeRosa a liar.

On November 24, 2009, the court granted DeRosa's motion to seek discovery from Richard S. Rattanni, the operator of the elizabethboro.com website, in order to identify the posters of the allegedly defamatory comments. On January 6, 2010, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed a motion for protective order seeking to squash the subpoena on behalf of Rattanni.

Update:

03/03/10 - The court held a hearing on Rattanni's motion to quash. According to one press account [2], the court determined that Rattanni had standing to assert the First Amendment rights of his readers.

Details

Web Site(s) Involved:

elizabethboro.com

Content Type:

Text

Publication Medium:

Forum

Subject Area:

Defamation
Anonymity

Court Information & Documents

Jurisdiction:

Pennsylvania

Source of Law:

Pennsylvania

Court Name:

Court of Common Pleas, Allegheny County

Court Type:

State

Case Number:

GD-09-021507

Relevant Documents:

2009-11-20 - Subpoena.pdf [7]

2010-01-06 - Motion for Protective Order.pdf [8]

CMLP Information (Private)

Priority:

1-High

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