Friday, June 24, 2011
Rachel Sterne’s Ground Report: Anonymous Editors, Anonymous Posters, Now Anonymous Lawyers Too? DRAFT
Posted by Peter Quennell
As they say here in New York: Gimme a break! What a bunch of wussies and wimps.
Yesterday I posted on TJMk about the group blog “Ground Report” which seems to have stupidly lashed itself to the hairbrained rants and libels of “Bruce Fisher” to keep itself alive.
Its reader numbers have tanked ever since.
In messages starting last sunday night I had simply asked the anonymous editors of Ground Report to remove “Bruce Fishers” anonymous libels about extortion and stalking and on and on. I thought it nice to write to them myself as we are all in the business of group blogs.
I explained the whole background to the libels at length.
Initially the anonymous editors were very friendly and co-operative and they kindly removed the libelous posts. They told me they were volunteers, and they said Ground Report might from now on stay away from Meredith’s case as it is such a factual and legal minefield.
But daffier instincts seem to have prevailed and last night they posted this:
We are pleased to announce that after our request two weeks ago for a volunteer attorney; one of the most prominent lawyers in New York City has stepped forward and offered pro bono counsel for GroundReport. He began his work this week and did discovery on a First Amendment issue involving one of GR’s citizen journalists who was challenging a powerful advocacy group regarding a controversial topic in the news. The attorney resolved the issue with a few phone calls to the “˜opposing’ counsel. The issue was resolved in GR’s favor due to the “plaintiff’s” misrepresentation of his relationship with the “˜opposing’ counsel. We are thrilled to have this resource available to us on matters of First Amendment rights and now have a person who can defend our reporters from harassment and attempts to silence their voices.[/quote]
Well, folks, I am just back from a meeting with my lawyer in downtown Manhattan, who happens to be an ex District Attorney who took down mafia in his time. He was absolutely scathing.
Someone he had never heard of and who he was not even sure was a lawyer - almost certainly not a big-name lawyer and not one practicing in New York - called him during court earlier this week
He told them he was in court and to call again next week. He told them NOTHING of the investigations that he is engaged in. End of the story.
My legal interest is narrowly focussed on the malicious defamations including categoric claims of stalking and extortion by “Bruce Fisher” and they don’t extend to Seattle or anything to do with Meredith’s case.
On which, by the way, we sit on a mountain of tips which we normally expect never to share. We think the Italians are doing a pretty good job. “Bruce Fisher” should remember this. We do play fair.
That misleading (anonymous) claim quoted above from Ground Report should perhaps not stay posted. Truth really should be Job One.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 06/24/11 at 09:00 PM in News media & movies
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They do seem ill advised to me to be pointing new readers at us with our mountain of truth on the site, but who are we to complain?!
They seem to have been trying to find out what I am worth in the event (unlikely if cooler heads now prevail) that suits start flying. They wont get far with that one. The UN has a separate accounting system from the US and for UN work I pay UN taxes. My investments are legitimately tax-sheltered or in a company name and as my wife is so well paid I dont normally need to draw income. Go figure.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 06/24/11 at 06:43 PM | #
good luck…my guess when you beat these losers it will be a pyrrhic victory in that THEY will be unable to pay?! and you will have had to suffer their ...er nonsense.
Posted by mojo on 06/24/11 at 07:22 PM | #
Hi Mojo. Who knows? My guess is the phone lines have been burning this morning between Rachel Sterne and the folks she left in charge to maintain her online empire when she went to work for the mayor of New York. They dont seem to be as deft as she is.
My guess is they will fold long before any trial as the evidence is actually overwhelming, including a number of witnesses, that “Bruce Fisher” simply made things up. First Amendment free speech by the media is good if they report fairly; but not otherwise.
False accusations of crimes are not protected as their “super lawyer” should have told them.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 06/24/11 at 07:49 PM | #
I just don’t understand why “Bruce Fisher” has shifted his focus entirely to a strange battle with Peter Quennell. What possible relationship does this have to the murder of Meredith Kercher? He seems to have lost the plot entirely and his posting about this matter has become rather obsessional. It’s all rather sad, in fact.
Posted by Skeptical Bystander on 06/24/11 at 10:58 PM | #
Pete, keep up the good fight. The Entourage, the FOA, the “earned and paid media” and the hangers-on will try to put on distraction manoeuvres to keep people from discussing the case against the three persons convicted for the murder and sexual assault of Meredith Kercher.
But they aren’t succeeding and they won’t succeed. To succeed they need to convince the world that there is some sort of uber-conspiracy at play here, when in fact there is plain and simple, balanced evidence against the murderous threesome.
Posted by Kermit on 06/25/11 at 12:54 AM | #
Thank you Kermit. I’ve been through turbulence 1000 times before and it is fully to be predicted.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 06/25/11 at 02:22 AM | #
Nothing pleases a “purely volunteer based relying on donations” website more than to be made a 1st Amendment martyr, Pete.
We await future developments with bated breath.
Posted by Ergon on 06/25/11 at 03:28 AM | #
Ground Report have sure gone quiet about their super-lawyer… Ergon, this topnotch guy would have told them that First Amendment protections stop well short of knowingly falsely accusing people of crimes.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 06/25/11 at 05:36 AM | #
Candace Dempsey’s website has a link to today’s post by “Bruce Fisher” on AllVoices. Surprise. Surprise. “Bruce Fisher” sure has lots of time on his hands. If you look at the behind-the-scenes arguments about the Wikipedia article on Meredith’s murder, “Bruce Fisher’s” posts go on ad nauseum.
Posted by Sailor on 06/25/11 at 07:59 AM | #
Dear Skepticle The reason that this none person Bruce Fisher has gone after Peter is because he can’t attack the evidence and since his attacks on Mignini has backfired he has turned his obvious sick mentality to attacking Peter. To paraphrase an old boxing axiom “He can run but he can’t hide.” Best of luck Peter and as always if I personally can be of any help at all please contact me.
Cheers Grahame
Posted by Grahame Rhodes on 06/25/11 at 08:03 AM | #
Hi Sailor. Candace Dempsey’s readers are being misled then. The post above is the last word on this and not what Fisher wrote.
Let him think he is at no legal risk. I’m fine with that. But even if he consults with say Anne Bremner he will be told by her that he is very wrong. And as he is out of work how much legal action can he afford?
Posted by Peter Quennell on 06/25/11 at 01:32 PM | #
It sounds like yet another desperation move trying by the side that has only untruths and fabrications left. The evidence is so overwhelming against AK and the group that supports her can’t successfully poke holes in it. Blaming others is their stock in trade…
The blame started with Patrick Lumumba, then the police beat her, then the prosecuters, then Guede. But now after conviction onlookers are supposed to forget all the DNA evidence,the cell phone evidence, the lies, the story changes, the blood evidence, the footprint evidence, the cover up evidence ..... OH and now believe a convicted child murderer. It really is pathetic.
No Peter the Italians have this crime and the punishment for it well under control. It isn’t always a smooth ride for you and others who continually make sure the spinners can’t skew truth, but so far you have all wins and no losses. You are very much admired and appreciated.Thank you sir.
Posted by friar fudd on 06/25/11 at 02:36 PM | #
Peter, you’re the best.
Posted by Hopeful on 06/25/11 at 05:16 PM | #
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