A Los Angeles judge has ordered the attorney for an anonymous defendant to identify a now-deceased client who targeted actor James Woods with Twitter insults.<\/p>\n
Woods sued the John Doe defendant last year after the Twitter user, who went by the name \u201cAbe List,\u201d called him a \u201ccocaine addict.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Twitter user died since the lawsuit was filed. His attorney, Ken White had argued that the case should have been thrown out, as the insults were part of protected political speech. But the motion to toss the case was denied.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a significant step forward in our ability to recover the millions in damages caused by John Doe\u2019s cowardly Tweet,\u201d said Woods\u2019 attorney, Michael Weinsten of Lavely & Singer. \u201cIt also sends a message to others who believe they can hide behind the anonymity of online social media to falsely accuse public figures of heinous behavior without recourse to themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Weinsten, White has 10 days to disclose his client\u2019s name in a sworn declaration.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes the bad guy wins in litigation,\u201d White said via email. \u201cI remain proud that I defended Abe Doe against James Woods\u2019 vexatious, petulant lawsuit complaining about a joke he\u2019s used himself on Twitter. I\u2019m also pleased that the judge rejected his request for sanctions and turned down his demand to compel me to respond to a number of other questions. Woods is a bully who can dish it out but can\u2019t take it. His claim that a patently satirical tweet damaged his reputation is preposterous. It would be ridiculous for anyone not to hire him because of an obvious joke \u2013 but perfectly reasonable not to hire him because he\u2019s James Woods.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a court brief last year, White accused Woods of harassing his client\u2019s family. Included in one of White\u2019s briefs was one of Woods\u2019 tweets, after being informed that the John Doe defendant had died. \u201cScreaming my name, I hope. Learn this. Libel me, I\u2019ll sue you. If you die, I\u2019ll follow you to the bowels of Hell. Get it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Woods, a prolific Twitter user, wrote on Tuesday, \u201cTwitter\u2019s worst users cherish the ability to defame from the shadows of anonymity. Twitter squeals \u201c1st Amendment\u201d only when profit calls.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source:\u00a0uk.movies.yahoo<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"