The California Bar suspended Frank Russell Wilson for failing to disclose he that he was an attorney and blogging about a trial while serving as a juror.

Wilson served a juror during the trial of a man charged with five counts of felony burglary. He did not disclose that he was an attorney during jury selection. According to the California Bar Journal, even though the "judge cautioned jurors not to discuss the case both in writing and orally . . . Wilson posted an entry on his blog that identified the crimes, the first name of the defendant and the name of the judge, whom he described as 'a stern, attentive woman with thin red hair and long, spidery fingers that as a grandkid you probably wouldn’t want snapped at you.''' As a result of Wilson's blogging, the court of appeal vacated the judgment in the burglary case.

Wilson was given a 45 day suspension and two years probation.  

Erie, Pennsylvania police officers allegedly threatened Jeremy Orr and/0r his brother with a federal wiretapping charge if he did not remove a video from YouTube.  The video, which was shot in a bar on Orr's cell phone, showed one of the officers, James Cousins, making fun of a recent homicide victim.

In April 2009, Erie Police Chief Steve Franklin  learned of the video. As a result, the department assigned James DeDionisio to determine if Cousins' behavior violated conduct standards. Franklin also asked YouTube to remove the video, because he worried that "[p]eople [would] look at this and say, 'Geez, is that what the Erie cops are like?'" YouTube refused to do so without a request from an original poster.

DeDionisio and Cousins allegedly questioned Orr's brother on April 6 and threatened him with a federal wiretapping violation if he or his brother did not remove the video.  (Orr's brother did not disclose his name to the press out of fear for police reprisals.) DeDionisio and Cousin deny that they issued that threat.

District Attorney Brad Foulk stated that he thought a wire tapping charge under the circumstances "is absolutely preposterous," adding that "I would never consider charging this person with a wiretap violation." The police allegely contacted Foulk's office to request a court order for the removal of the video. Foulk claims that his lead detective told the police "we could not do it and would not do it." 

It appears that to date, no charges have been filed against Orr or his brother.

B.F. Shaw Printing, the Northwest Herald’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against Cal Skinner Jr.,  a local blogger, for alleged defamatory comments, regarding the Herald's past funding and supposed political bias, that he posted on his blog.

Shaw's three-count complaint claims defamation, false light, and commercial disparagement arising from a June 3 post "Borrowing on Borrowing " on Skinner's blog, mchenrycountyblog.com. The post, repeated in Shaw's complaint, read in part (Compl. Count I ¶ 4):

[W]ho could forget the multimillion loan to the Northwest Herald at sub-market rates. . . . the NW Herald was not an 'in extremis' condition then. The excuse for loaning the money was to keep the county newspaper from moving out of the county. The real reason was to put the paper in the back pocket of the Republican Party. (Anyone want to deny the strategy worked?)

Shaw's complaint states that it “has never been the recipient of any loan, from any public body, at market or sub-market rates “ (Compl. Count I ¶ 7), “is not, and never has been, ‘in the back pocket’ or under the control or influence of the McHenry County Republican Party” ( Compl. Count I ¶ 8) and “is not now, and has never been ‘in extremis’ condition.” (Compl. Count I ¶ 9). Shaw claims that Skinner's statements "impugn the financial and editorial integrity of [the Northwest Herald]" and they "constitute defamation per se." (Compl. Count I - ¶¶ 20, 22).

Skinner, in his answer to the complaint, admitted to writing the post and claimed that his statements were true. (Answer at p. 10). He attached a copy of Resolution R-8511-02-86 from the McHenry County Board, which he claims shows that “the plaintiff was a participant in and beneficiary of a $2.6 million dollar loan, with interest at 80% of prime, from the McHenry County Board.” (Answer describing Ex. 1).

Skinner also offered 14 additional affirmative defenses including: failure to mitigate, unclean hands, failure to state an actual injury, and fair reporting privilege for “statements relat[ing] to matters of governmental affairs.” (Answer at p. 12 – 13).

Skinner countersued Shaw for bringing a frivolous suit, defamation, and false light. Skinner claims he was defamed by an article published by the Northwest Herald concerning the original lawsuit,  "Northwest Herald's owner sues blogger, claims defamation." The article, according to Skinner, “essentially parroted the allegations set forth in the lawsuit, but also contained the following . . . statement: Northwest Herald Publisher John Rung said Skinner’s assertions were ‘reckless and completely fabricated.’”(Answer at p. 22-26). 

Update:

1/29/10 - press accounts report a settlement.