[If any other Politech members have set up mirrors, I will dutifully forward, though it may have to wait until I get back from Moscow. --Declan] --- Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 10:10:39 -0400 From: Vicki Richman <vicricat_private> To: politechat_private Subject: Paul Trummel Paul Trummel has been released from prison. But. He must return to court on Friday, June 21, 2002, to show cause that he may remain free. The Seattle county court's decision is fascinating reading. I don't necessarily agree with the judge, Jim Doerty, but he is very convincing. He only touches on the distinction between a freelancer and a working reporter for an established paper. Citing Justice Potter Stewart in 1974, Doerty says that the First Amendment may indeed make that distinction, by using the term "the press" in addition to "speech." However, Doerty then rules that any such distinction, if it exists, is irrelevant. If Paul had been a bureau chief for the NY Times, he would still be in jail for what he is alleged to have done. That is not true. Paul was in jail for publishing personal data on his perceived foes. The Times published both Al Sharpton's and my home addresses (well, forty years apart) with impunity. What about credit-reporting agencies? Why aren't they in jail? Is that because they limit access to fee-payers, while Paul gave access to all? A New York tenants' union recently picketed a landlord's private home, a greater invasion than a list of home addresses on an obscure Web page. Protecting the picketers, the police ignored the landlord's protests. Anyway, here is the decision: http://www.metrokc.gov/kcsc/rulings/trummel_v_mitchell.htm Here is the URL that is largely responsible for Paul's imprisonment: http://contracabal.org/801-09.htm It was still up at the time I sent this message. I have mirrored that page on my site, as a protest against Paul's imprisonment, but I have disabled it while Paul is free. If Paul returns to jail, you may view my mirror at: http://vicric.com/trummel/ Solidarity, -- Vicki Richman vicricat_private http://vicric.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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