No, not me. It was in Lehigh County, but first some background. Large corporations and wealthy and powerful people often sue or threaten to sue individuals to shut them up. These lawsuits generally have little chance of winning; the purpose is to bankrupt the people being sued or to scare them into stopping whatever they are doing. These kinds of lawsuits are called “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation” or SLAPP suits. Many states have outlawed them, but not, of course, Pennsylvania.
Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin has sued a blogger named Bill Villa, who was critical of the D.A.’s handling of drunk driving cases, including the one in which a man who killed Villa’s daughter got a five and a half to 12 year sentence. He also sued radio station WAEB, but that suit was settled. The suit against Villa will proceed.
The District Attorney won’t win. He’s an elected public official who can be harshly criticized. I don’t know D.A. Martin personally, but in my opinion he is a real jerk. Just my opinion, so don’t sue me.
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