[Johnny_Cipher]

Excerpted because I don't know if full-text articles can be posted from this source or not.

[Mini-14]

What happened to all the people who call for tort reform to end "frivolous" lawsuits? It seems that it kind of depends on whose ox got gored when label a lawsuit as "just" or "frivolous".

[demlosers]

City Attorney Hilda Cantu Montoy said the lawsuit was settled to "avoid the expense and burden of litigation."

"It's not in any way admitting any liability by any party," Montoy said.

More likely you wanted to avoid embarrassment -- yours.

[floriduh voter]

Love is all around, no need to fake it, we're gonna make it after all.

[gracie1]

Hey, lookee here!

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Paying $60,000 for acting like a bunch of lefties. Hmmmm...

[Roarkdude]

The settlement should have included a public retraction. Anything short of that and I would have taken them to court.

[Ciexyz]

Way to go Jim!

[mrobison]

The article says JimRob is going to travel across the U. S. in a motorhome. When is he coming to Salt Lake City? I want to shake his hand.

[IncPen]

Most excellent...

[Happy2BMe]

KUDOS go out to Jim Robinson!

[Maigrey]

Does this mean that Brad's Gramma can release Snuggles for the next 6 months?

[Maigrey]

Does this mean that Brad's Gramma can release Snuggles for the next 6 months?

[Maigrey]

Does this mean that Brad's Gramma can release Snuggles for the next 6 months?

[BlessedBeGod]

Cool! That's a whole quarter of fundraising all at once! :-)

[aomagrat]

[capitan_refugio]

This story is making the rounds on the net. Here is an example of the left-wing lunacy concerning Mr. Robinson's victory over the Fresno socialists (cut and paste from website - errors are those of the author). From sf.indymedia.org:

Bush orders settlement to conservative GOP website by City of Fresno
by by Troy Montague Saturday January 10, 2004 at 11:30 PM

Settlement funnels money to local conservative website on orders of president George Bush. Rightwing website "FreeRepublic" to recieve large settlement from City of Fresno.

This is urgent-read and call the attorney general's office as soon as you can. We must stop this criminal give-away to GOP activists at taxpayer expense.

The City of Fresno has announced it is paying a large settlement to the "FreeRepublic", a right wing conservative website/forum to settle a lawsuit filed by Freerepublic alledging defamation and damage of reputation. Some background on the case:

The case FreeRepublic vs. City of Fresno stems from a bulletin sent to Fresno Police by Fresno Human Relations Commissioner Debbie Reyes regarding an event planned on sept. 13th by the Fresno chapter of FreeRepublic Network. This event, billed by Freerepublic as a picnic/rally was a subject of concern to Reyes as she had been made aware of possible counter-protests to the picnic/rally by activists critical of FreeRepublic Network's harrassment of anti-war activists and general right-wing extremist nature. Ms. Reyes faxed a notice to police that there might be possible conflicts at the event and notified them that FreeRepublic was well known as an organized hate group disguising themselves as patriotic americans. This notice and resulting publicity resulted in the lawsuit naming City of Fresno, Debbie Reyes, and Mayor Alan Autry as defendants. They alledged Reyes fax resulted in defamation and filed suit seeking $1,000,000 compensation.

The very very strange thing in all this is George Bush met with Fresno Mayor Alan Autry on 10/15/2003 and there is good reason to believe this lawsuit by the FreeRepublic Network was the main topic of conversation between the two. The FreeRepublic online forum is a darling centerpiece of the GOP party, the largest and most highly trafficked GOP oriented website in existence. Progressive activists have long suspected FreeRepublic receives under the table covert funding directly or indirectly from the GOP party. So it is quite likely and plausible that when Autry met with Bush and discussed this with him Bush told him to pay off these good old-boy conservatives and get some funds into their hands so they can continue their fight against the left and all things progressive.

It is clear that before any settlement is paid to FreeRepublic an investigation into ties between Mayor Alan Autry and FreeRepublic should be undertaken. He has been supportive of their activitys to a suspicious degree and it is apparent he was very interested in arranging for the city to settle out of court on the lawsuit and quickly get some money into the hands of his fellow patriots at FreeRepublic.

Did Fresno Mayor Alan Autry work at the suggestion of George Bush to supply a large cash settlement to FreeRepublic at taxpayer's expense? Demand an investigation.

Contact:
California State Attoney General
(916)322-3360

*****

I didn't realize that JimRob had such pull in the White House and that FR was the "darling centerpiece of the GOP party (sic)."

[NarniaSC]

Oh my... I spent the summer of 1985 in Chicago working as a student missionary with a Hilda Cantu. She was attending a small college in Texas at the time. Does anyone in Fresno have an email address for her?

[AdamSelene235]

Former Human Relations Commission Chairwoman Debbie Reyes, who sent out the news release in September and who resigned this month, said the city should have "stuck it out and fought it."

"I don't think they should have settled, but they pretty much settle on anything," Reyes said.

Uh, huh.

Better put some ice on that.

[nickcarraway]

BUMP

[Palladin]

Jim and John should go take a nice vacation with the settlement.