Dear Judge: Can you PLEASE muzzle that woman...and the press

Photo: Nala on her 9th birthday. 

In its third motion for protective order my least favorite tourism company asks the court yet again to stop the plaintiff from filing motions in the public court file.  Instead they want a special rule that requires us to give them five days notice before we can file a document so they can bring a motion asking the court to seal it or block us.  Kind of like an early warning anti-missile system.  We must tell them before we launch then they try to shoot us down before the paperwork can hit the courthouse file.

To justify this procedure, the defense attacks me yet again.  According to them I'm: a) self-serving; b)misrepresenting the facts; c)  garnering media attention; d) circumventing an existing court order.

I know I know.  You're probably getting tired of reading about defense lawyers picking on me over and over again in the blog.  Trust me so am I.

But this time in its motion the company also attacks the media.  They charge: " The media stories are contaminating the potential jury pool with false narratives."

This is bothersome.  It is an echo of the "fake media" mantra that has been recently taken up around the country.

I believe we all need to stand up  for our right to engage in free speech and talk to the media if they are interested enough to ask.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. 

U.S. Constitution Amendment I.

Attachment:  Declaration of Karen Koehler in Support of Free Speech and the Press:  Koehler Decl. First Amendment