When a north-central Wisconsin news site reported that a businessman had uttered a homophobic slur, he sued, claiming defamation. The legal bills are piling up.
  • whataboutshutup@discuss.online
    102·
    11 months ago

    Why it’s a newspaper’s problem if he’s a hateful moron. Imagine calling a child a faggot, even personally. It’s so wrong and sad. For a child, for a reporter, and for he is the one to play victim and charge them.

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
    43·
    11 months ago

    Can’t SLAAP be applied here? This sound like something that should qualify, to me, but not a lawyer and probably pretty ignorant.

    • utopianfiat@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      11 months ago

      SLAPP isn’t a law, it’s a way to describe abuse of the system that’s mostly legal as long as it doesn’t reach the point of frivolity.

      • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
        31·
        11 months ago

        Thanks, that’s a useful distinction. But I’m still curious why it wouldn’t apply here? The paper can clearly show that it reported in good-faith, so why isn’t it possible to countersue the politician who clearly is trying to harm them via the courts? I would think this would allow them to pursue financial relief for their legal troubles. I must be missing something fundamental about what SLAAP can and cannot provide.

        • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
          2·
          11 months ago

          That’s not how the law works. You need to tell us why an anti-SLAAP action (which Wisconsin does not have as a cause of action) would apply here.