Newspaper & Press Group Fight Politicians' Lawsuit Threat
Newspaper & Press Group Fight Politicians' Lawsuit Threat
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (CN) - Members of the Warwick City Council threatened to sue a newspaper for publishing their names and photos in political ads without their permission, and the newspaper and the Rhode Island Press Association sued the state's attorney general for declaratory judgment that the politicians are out of line.
Warwick City Council members threatened to sue the Beacon, a semiweekly newspaper in Warwick, after it published a paid ad from a citizen who "expressed concerns regarding previous actions undertaken by members of the Warwick City Council," according to the Superior Court complaint. The ad included the names and photos of the mayor and the president of the City Council.
Similar ads, paid for by the same citizen - nonparty Robert Cote - addressed vehicle taxes, and featured names and photos of all the members of the City Council.
"Prior to and after the publication of the foregoing advertisements, the Beacon received correspondence from or on behalf of certain members of the Warwick City Council depicted in the advertisements," the complaint states. "In those communications, those individuals claims that the publication of the advertisements containing their names and likenesses would provide grounds for a civil action against the Beach pursuant to §9-1-28 of the Rhode Island General Laws."
http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/01/09/42863.htm
= new reply since forum marked as read
