[spetznaz]

In non-legal lingo, can someone please explain to me whether there are any real teeth attached to this? What impact would a civil suit in an American state to a foreign national for a crime that has a cold scent, and that occured in a foreign nation have? Add to this that any evidence (if it can even be called that since most of it seems to be along the lines of 'I know they did it but I cannot prove it') was either shoddily collected or non-existent. I know that civil cases only require a preponderance of evidence, and thus are far less stringent than criminal cases, but this still seems rather nebulous at best.

I'm glad that finally some real action seems to be implemented, but is their any real significance to this act or is it mostly symbolic? Thanks.

[ContemptofCourt]

This has no teeth...this is just a media spectacle. Oh, the internet junkies of this story will love it and talk about how great it is, but really, what will happen?

First, it is a civil suit. NOONE can be compelled to testify in a civil suit. Worst that happens, you get a default judgment. In this case, however, the Holloways won't do that.

Two, what the Holloways will do is use this as their forum. They will likely put on a case without the defendants present, with no defense testimony, and get a judgment. I doubt they are after the money, but are just trying to use the court as their forum.

Thus, nothing will come out of this that we don't already know, b/c the VdS will never step into the courtroom or testify "under oath".

I won't post on these Holloway threads any more, as there is a wacko FReeper element that follows this story...just listen to Greta's breathless reporting and be entertained...because at this point, that is all that Greta is doing.