Natalie Maines Sued for Defamation

TheBoot.com ^ | Dec 4th 2008 | Stephen L. Betts

[WestTexasWend]

Dixie Chicks' lead singer Natalie Maines is being sued for defamation over statements she allegedly made about the stepfather of one of three 8-year-old boys murdered in Crittenden County, Ark. in 1993.

Arkansasbusiness.com reports that a complaint was filed November 25 in Pulaski County Circuit Court by Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of one of the murdered boys, Steve Branch. The complaint alleges Maines wrongfully made a "false and reckless claim that [Hobbs] committed the murders of the three boys ..."

Steve Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were found dead May 5, 1993 in a West Memphis, Ark. neighborhood. Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin, all of West Memphis, were convicted of the murders in 1994.

Maines -- identified by her married name, Pasdar, in the lawsuit -- allegedly made the comments during a rally last December on the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock.

The lawsuit also claims that Pasdar "recklessly published or caused to be published malicious, libelous, slanderous, and false statements" on the band's website in November 2007.

The lawsuit further claims that the statements were republished by several media outlets, including FOX News, The Memphis Commercial Appeal, and PEOPLE magazine.

The lawsuit seeks undisclosed punitive damages and "all other just and proper relief to which he may be entitled."

The case has attracted national attention, with many claiming insufficient evidence was presented to convict Echols, Misskelley and Baldwin, known as the "West Memphis Three." The controversial trials were the subject of a 1996 documentary film, and a 2000 sequel.

[Cedar]

I found the web link with his records.

Here is the court order for when he threatened the life of his mother and father. This is dated Sept. 1992, about eight months before the three boys were killed:

http://callahan.8k.com/images/500/3/345.jpg

For the main web page with all records listed by numbers go here:

http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/img/exh500.html

[beckett]

Maines is dopey, it goes without saying, but I must admit, the closer one looks at the West Memphis 3 case, the hinkier it gets. Take away a suspiciously obtained confession from a teenager with an IQ of 72, and the state has no case at all.

An improperly processed crime scene; no forensic evidence; no murder weapon; no motive; no witnesses -- and plenty of satanic hysteria and savage untrue rumors. A sure concoction for a miscarriage of justice.

[Cedar]

Damien sucked blood from the arm of a boy while in detention center. Also Damien “admits to violence and attempting to enucleate [remove] peer’s eye at school.”

http://callahan.8k.com/images/500/009.jpg

[prairiebreeze]

Then she shouldn’t be surprised if she gets sued for slander, now should she?

[lastchance]

But she has not said anything slanderous. Nope, and he should not be surpised if he loses the case. And please know I am no admirer of hers. But as the old saw goes
“even a blind pig can find an acorn once in awhile”
(which actually does not make too much sense since pigs have great senses of smell, don’t they?)