The anti-drug advocate, her drunk-driving arrest and her defamation suit
Boy, this is one recent federal court opinion worth a look-see [PDF, 151 KB]. Some quick background to pique your interest:
A woman who served as vice chairman of an anti-drug task force in Indiana was arrested in 2003 on suspicion of driving while under the influence.
The local paper,
The Times of Northwest Indiana, covered the arrest. The paper quoted the arresting officer as saying that the woman "was the most obnoxious drunken female I have ever arrested." (
Word of advice: refrain from telling law enforcement officers that your jewelry is worth more than their salaries.)
The paper also turned up details about another encounter the woman had with law enforcement (let's just say it involved a riverboat casino and honorary law enforcement badge ...). The paper eventually editorialized -- complete with a cartoon that essentially declared her denial as profound as O.J. Simpson's -- that the woman, not local law enforcement agencies, was to blame for her own public disgrace.
The woman filed suit against the paper, alleging defamation.
Read for yourself how U.S. District Judge James T. Moody sorted the details of this humdinger to issue a thoughtful ruling that provides an interesting refresher-course in media law.