No further Comment
Posted on 08/14/2008 9:12:26 PM PDT by camerakid400
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) ― A lawsuit filed by conservative radio talk show host Michael Savage against a Muslim civil rights group came to an end Thursday when Savage's lawyer told a federal judge in San Francisco that he won't try to amend it.
Savage sued the Washington, D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, known as CAIR, last year after it posted on its Web site a four-minute excerpt of anti-Islamic comments by Savage along with a critique of his words.
Savage made the comments during an Oct. 29, 2007, broadcast of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated show based in San Francisco.
They included remarks that "you can take (CAIR) and throw them out of my country" and that Muslims were "screaming for the blood of Christians or Jews or anyone they hate."
Last month, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston dismissed the lawsuit. She permanently dismissed Savage's claim of copyright infringement, saying that CAIR's posting of the comments for the purposes of criticism was protected by the right of free speech.
But the judge said Savage could try to amend a second claim of racketeering by trying to show specific alleged financial harm by CAIR to his business. She gave Savage a deadline of Friday.
In a notice filed Thursday, attorney Daniel Horowitz said Savage decided not to file an amended racketeering claim.
In an unusual three-page filing, Horowitz told the judge that he had prepared a 116-page amended lawsuit, but that Savage decided not to file it because of "factors arising out of this litigation but taking place (or potentially have an effect) outside of this litigation."
The court filing gave no details, but in a telephone interview Horowitz said the factors included an alleged phone threat to Savage. Horowitz said he wasn't accusing the Islamic group of making threats, but said Savage didn't want to take the risk that the case could inspire a "lone nut" to try to harm his family.
CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said the Islamic organization had "nothing whatsoever" to do with any threats and that any allegations to that effect would be "scurrilous."
Hooper said, "It's clear that this baseless and frivolous lawsuit wasn't going anywhere and he decided to cut his losses."
Savage has recently come under fire from parents of autistic children for alleging on his July 16 show that 99 percent of autism cases are actually cases of misbehaving children whose parents don't discipline them.
WTF????
I guess Michael should have measured twice before he filed once.
He’s gonna need the money he would have spent on the law suit to live on after his bone headed comments regarding Autism.
I think Savage finally figured out that conservatives and “rightwingers” don’t stand much of a chance in the courts anymore. The muzzies had this one in the bag from the very beginning.
He sent out an emergency appeal for money by email earlier this week - said he needed 180k to continue. I suppose he didn’t want to spend the money.
He doesn’t have the money.
How many other talk show hosts even have the guts to confront CAIR directly?
Lawyers who want to remain lawyers only press cases that have some chance of success.
Here is the email from 8/4:
Dear Savage Nation,
Emergency appeal!
Our fight against CAIR continues. As you will see from the attached news article, last week Clinton-appointee Judge Illston denied our copyright infringement claim, and asked us to provide additional information regarding our claim against CAIR under the Federal Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act. We require your help to pursue the case against CAIR, both in the District Court, and if necessary, through an appeal to the Ninth Circuit.
I need your help now. To continue the fight against CAIR and other enemies of free speech, please send another donation of any amount. No contribution is too small, and your acts will speak volumes against those who attempt to silence the Savage Nation!
Thank you again for your past assistance and I hope that you will continue to join me in my tireless efforts to be heard. This is about the First Amendment and the future of our freedoms. The Savage Nation will not stand down. Please send $25 now!
Thanks,
Michael Savage
P.S. It will cost $180,000 to appeal this case to the next level
Doesn’t seem possible that MS doesn’t personally have the $ - he must not feel like spending it.
attorney Daniel Horowitz said Savage decided not to file an amended racketeering claim . . . Horowitz told the judge that he had prepared a 116-page amended lawsuit
There it is. Already to go. Any talk show hosts out there willing to pick up the ball? I didn't think so. I've heard Levin say that CAIR had better watch it (vis-a-vis matters other than Savage presumably) but what has he or any others done?
bttt
Something is fishy with this. Why would savage pay his lawyer to make the appeal and then drop it??
Wow, I’m shocked. I’ve been working some odd hours this past week and haven’t had a chance to listen... otherwise I would have gladly donated some more funds towards this noble cause.
Perhaps he should have counted the cost before he tried to build this thing upwards.....
Doc Savage is a mystery, on the one hand, he fundraised for the Haditha Marines and threw his own money into the effort when no one else would even bother to mention their plight.
On the other, he raised money for this effort that supposedly would “Go to the Supreme Court if it had to”..
I love doc Savage, but this is wildly inconsistent on his part. When I’ve listened to him lately, he just seems bitter for not having his backside kissed by politicos.
IMO, he should buy a bottle of Louis the 13th, and do another live show, and realize that he is loved out here in the real America.
There's not a conservative talk show host in the country, I bet, that has not had his/her words distorted and demands made upon the sponsors.
Probably not to the extent as Savage experienced but I do know of a local host in Sacramento who was kicked off KFBK at the urgings of CAIR and others -- at least for months leading up to his firing he spoke often of how CAIR regularly contacted his bosses with complaints. He even said employees of the local rag joined with CAIR to get him off the air.
So it seems to me that simply replacing Savage's name and experiences with the name and experiences of any one of numerous others would work. But alas, they would rather gloat. I can't wait to see Levin's thread and then hear his Friday night delayed broadcast on local radio. Talk about gloating. . . .
Maybe he shouldn’t have given so much money to Jerry Brown.
On his next show he will tell his listeners about the wonderful meal he had by himself at a Fancy San Francisco restaurant.
$$$$
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.