Bonlender v. Ensey [1]

Former Yakima City Councilman Ronald Bonlender filed a lawsuit claiming that his opponent's wife, Diane Ensey, anonymously defamed him and cast him in a false light on a blog.

The lawsuit alleges that Diane Ensey published entries on a blog [2] under the pen name "Publius." According to court filings, in one of the blog entries, the plaintiff is referred to as "a drunk with several DUI arrests," which Bonlender claims is a false statement. The complaint further alleges that the website was taken down the day after the election, and that Richard Ensey admitted that his wife was the anonymous poster in a TV interview.  The complaint seeks general damages for emotional distress.

In January, the Enseys filed a motion for a change of venue due to extensive publicity in Yakima County.  After the judge denied the motion, the Enseys filed a motion for summary judgment.  The judge also denied that motion.  The court set a trial date for March 16, 2009.

On February 03, 2009, the parties settled the case out of court.  In exchange for dismissal of the suit, the Enseys agreed to pay money damages to Bonlender and to issue a public apology.  Bonlender has described the damages [3] as "substantial."