TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Anonymous E-Mailer Steps Forward After Supreme Court Order

Anonymous E-Mailer Steps Forward After Supreme Court Order

Monty Solomon (monty@roscom.com)
Sun, 3 Apr 2005 22:43:49 -0400

PORTLAND, Maine --After a year of court wrangling, the sender of an
insulting e-mail who fought to withhold his identity in a case that
tested the waters of Internet anonymity has stepped into light.

James Stanley Jr., president and CEO of The Liberty Group, said
Thursday that he sent a satirical e-mail to a half-dozen Great
Diamond Island residents on Christmas Eve 2003 under another island
resident's name.

"I regret that the entire incident ever took place," Stanley said in
a statement. "It was a spontaneous, tongue-in-cheek bit of silliness
that for reasons that are still unfathomable has taken on a life of
its own."

Ronald Fitch, whose identity was used to send the e-mail, had
contended the e-mail amounted to identity theft and fraud. But
through his lawyers, Stanley claimed it was anonymous free speech,
protected by the Constitution.

Two weeks ago the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ordered, without
addressing First Amendment issues, that Stanley's identity had to be
revealed.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2005/04/01/anonymous_e_mailer_steps_forward_after_supreme_court_order/

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: 'The Liberty Group', a right-wing
organization, should have known it was identity theft and fraud if
they specifically gave some other person's identifiable name and
address. All they had to say, if they had wanted to avoid that
problem was state, "there is no such real person as Ronald Fitch" and
been vague on his address or not given an address at all. I have had
people do that same thing to me; there was nothing I could do about
it under those circumstances. PAT]

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: Monty Solomon: "Fourth Man Indicted in Republican Phone-Jamming Scheme"
Go to Previous message: SELLCOM Tech support: "Re: New Sponsor Comes on Board With Digest Web Site"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page