Wednesday, February 18, 2009

News-Star: "Deadline Extended For Subpoenas"

Bloggers Remain Anonymous — For Now

By LORRAINE SWANSON, Editor

The anonymous bloggers of Uptown Update, and What the Helen, won't be unmasked anytime soon.

Attorneys on both sides of the Fix Wilson Yard lawsuit have agreed to extend the time within which Google and its hosting service, Blogger, have to respond to subpoenas filed last month seeking ownership information for the two blogs. The new deadline is March 9.

Another subpoena was also filed with Google requesting contributors' information who posted comments regarding the Wilson Yard development and Ald. Helen Shiller (46th Ward) on the Buena Park Neighbors and Uptown Neighborhood Council's Web sites. The subpoenas also ask for information about the six residents named as plaintiffs in the Fix Wilson Yard lawsuit.

[...]

Tom Ramsdall said that defendants are trying to determine whether the statute of limitations for filing the lawsuit expired.

"My understanding is that the defense is most interested in whether plaintiffs were blogging or posting reports or opinions in 2001 [when the Wilson Yard TIF was adopted] up until Dec. 3, 2008," Ramsdall said.

Read the entire article here, including Holsten's attorneys' claim that the FWY lawsuit was filed too late... even though construction on the project didn't begin until December 2008.

19 comments:

  1. Does this mean that they didn't get to quash the subpoenas?

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  2. Methinks it means the decision on quashing the subpoenas has been delayed.

    I consulted with noted legal expert Dr I M Kookie and the chances of the subpoena succeeding were slim anyway.

    As FWY attorney and city government slayer Ramsdell said all the defendants need to do is request the info from the plaintiffs.

    Requesting every comment regarding Helen Shiller, regardless of whether it had anything to do with Wilson Yard, seems overly broad to DR Kookie.

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  3. ===Does this mean that they didn't get to quash the subpoenas?===

    It means because the coward blogger(s) still don't want to come forward, the attorneys' are going to make more money.

    Billable lawyer fees. In the end, that's all that matters.

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  4. Craigikins,

    if you had 1/2 a brain, at best you have 1/4 of a brain, you'd realize that these subpoenas have less to do with outing the bloggers, than stifling dissent.

    Why request every post or comment dealing with Shiller even if the posts or comments were not Wilson Yard related?

    Don't attempt to answer Craig. I wouldn't want those tiny squirrels that run your brain to get tired.

    Please continue to almost incessantly focus on the negative in Rogers Park and life in general.

    It must really bother you to see a blog that covers both the good and bad of a neighborhood. Sure, recently you've tried to add some positive news to your blog, but ultimately your miserably unhappy personality wins out.

    You're not a bright shiny happy person like me. Always looking forward to a new day. There's a bluebird in my heart Craig, and you want to get him with a pellet gun.

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  5. I find it interesting that Craig will call people out on their blogging, yet you look at his profile and he has a disclaimer!!! Short of being funny, it is sad. We are cowards for blogging anonymously, yet he posts a disclaimer. Wonder who the bigger coward really is?

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  6. Maybe I should just out the cowardly blogger and get it over with?

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  7. Craig seems to be obsessed with this blogger coming out business.

    The reason being, is that the creators of Uptown Update in two years have surpassed what has taken him a lifetime to try and achieve. It must irk him to no ends knowing that a little blog in Uptown of all places has surpassed him in readers, notoriety, and credibility. It sounds like sour grapes every time.

    It is not personal Craig, it's the internet. Maybe you could start a blog and call it "Craigslist", just think how many hits that would get!

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  8. Craig, perhaps if you would sign a contract with the one in charge of Uptown Update that has you promise to use your time and money to deal with any repercussions done by Helen Shiller and building inspectors, you would have more respect. Along with that, $100,000 of your money will need to be held in escrow to make sure you are true to your word. Are you up for it? If so, you may get the attention of UU, but you'll also have to foot the bill from the attorney for this.

    But beyond money, one's right to free speech is worth much more than that. It's been clear from the very beginning that UU was never concerned about money, fame, or power. UU loves Uptown enough to make sure that people get to hear the truth about what's happening here. I appreciate my 1st Amendment right, and I'm glad UU does as well.

    Until then, you are alienating many people, and I don't believe that's what you want to do. Is it?

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  9. The bloggers are being represented pro bono by EFF, which means no lawyers will make money defending them. Let's get our facts straight, folks.

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  10. ugh. Delays are bad all across the board.

    I don't like this one bit.

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  11. ===The reason being, is that the creators of Uptown Update in two years have surpassed what has taken him a lifetime to try and achieve.===

    Let me know when the creator of Uptown Update sees a armed (gun) robbery in progress on Wilson Avenue, chases said armed robber down the street, catches and holds said armed robber for the police and actually goes to court for six months to get the armed robber convicted.

    Then we'll talk of achieving something.

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  12. Tom,

    I suspect Holsten's fine legal team is being compensated for the work around the subpoenas.

    So some one gets a "benefit".

    Who else benefits?

    I have some guesses.

    Surprisingly, I don't think Peter Holsten benefits. Too bad we know he doesn't read blogs or perhaps he would see this.

    SNARK alert. Snark alert.

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  13. Craig, you're welcomed to be a hero. You're not welcomed to require others to endure huge financial debt and threats to their well being because they have a blog in place that has uncovered many truths in this ward. If you want to make this requirement of them, then pay up with your money and time and be the hero you want to be.

    I am a strong believer of our 1st Amendment Right, and even if this was not about one's safety, that alone has me strongly supporting UU's right to anonymity.

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  14. Congrats to Craig for actually performing a civic duty (Craig Civic Duty Tracker = 1). You will have to excuse us, Craig, for not blowing our own horns over performing our civic duties. Most of us like to be anonymous when we do things to benefit our community rather than shout out to the hills that "LOOK AT ME, I AM CRAIG...I DID GOOD TODAY..."

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  15. When they say "Bloggers," do they mean the owners/moderators of the blogs or do they get "bloggers" confused with "commenters," like so Luddites do?

    I ask because of the way they're going after the BPN Message Board, too.

    I still don't get that whole statute of limitations thing, either.

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  16. Why has comment moderation been enabled and when/why did that happen? That's going to stifle all creative dialog.

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  17. My strong guess is that trolling stifles more dialogue than having a moderator.

    Personally, there are a few people that I wish could be banned from UU. I'm all for reasoned dissent, but I have no patience for trolls. The troll's goal is to cause chaos probably as a way to distract themselves from the chaos in their own lives. Ain't gonna buy their chaos.

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  18. Or they (i.e. them trolls) may be trying to prevent us from having free discussions by throwing their rotten red herrings all over the place.

    If that's the reason for the moderator's intervention, then I think it's justified.

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