Or as DeSmogBlog put it Ball Bails.
The self-styled Canadian climate change expert, Dr. Tim Ball, has abandoned his libel suit against University of Lethbridge Professor of Environmental Science Dan Johnson. . . .This, hopefully, is the beginning of the end for denialist SLAPP suits.
Johnson said he is now considering whether to accept basic costs or to seek special costs, adding, “I also deserve an apology. I think the nation deserves an apology.”
A Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation ("SLAPP") is a form of litigation filed by a large organization or in some cases an individual plaintiff, to intimidate and silence a less powerful critic by so severely burdening them with the cost of a legal defense that they abandon their criticismFor too long they have used their financial support to suppress those who disagree with them. Balls suit was just another in a long line of such actions which started with S. Fred Singer's suit against Justin Lancaster.
Best wishes to Dan Johnson and here is hoping he makes Ball sweat.
UPDATE: More links at Dan's web site
Nice inclusion of the wikipedia SLAPP page.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, Johnson will seek damages totaling hundreds of thousands.
ReplyDeleteThat might make Ball's balls a little sweaty.
California has pretty good anti-SLAPP legislation, as discussed in the wiki article:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SLAPP#California
Other places should think about similar provisions, although it wouldn't have applied to Ball's nonsense though.
Unfortunately, like "Judge Judy" sometimes favors right wingers -- ie, in small claims court.
ReplyDelete