Free Republic LLC filed a Notice of Claim with the City of Fresno

Press Release Charles L. Doerksen, Attorney at Law | 09/22/03 | Jim Robinson

[BSunday]

Somali, he%$! That's the Bonnie Blue

[CanisRex]

"Ummm.... how about asking for A MILLION DOLLARS in local taxpayers' money?"

Hear! Freakin HEAR! Thar's GOLD in them there Courthouses!

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

Okay, you are excused. I didn't see connect your apology with you since it was on the next page.

I just get real defensive when it appears that someone is attacking Jim and FR.

[JavaTheHutt]

Excellent.

[JavaTheHutt]

Jim, if you win 10 million bucks I suggest that you set up a program to pay for 5 people to freep Hillary 24/7 for the rest of her life. Even when she is 88 years old, I want freeper out on the street in front of her house.

Sounds like a really excellent way to spend some money. Devil costumes anyone?

[CanisRex]

Last time I'm posting on this subject. I promise.

I've seen the video which, IMHO, casts FR in a positive light. It showed that the Fresno Freepers are conservative, compassionate people who support the Military. The Mayor publicly stated there was no evidence that FR is a hate group and admonished the HRC for using city letterhead to send a PR.

Unless you are a shareholder in Free Republic, LLC I don't see how you benefit from a long, protracted lawsuit other than everytime it comes up on the local news your customers think "Gee, isn't that the hate group ladyinred was in on TV?" and they will continue to associate you and your business with unpleasantness. Or perhaps you lost customers who didn't know you were conservative and they were diehard liberals so once they saw you on TV they said "Never again!". I find that hard to believe unless you sell some highly commoditized product like groceries or are a pharmacy. I have been an entrepreneur for 10 years, in software, and I deal with the most liberal people on the planet. I am also starting a school next year in RTP called Anthem Academy (The Ayn Rand fans understand). My politics and core beliefs are very, very much a priority to me. I have a bust of Ronaldus Magnus in our conference room and an 11X14 picture of me with GHWB behind my desk. Liberals do business with me because I am the best at what I do and when we discuss politics, I find that most liberals, once you get past the mainstream media talking points, really have no stomach to defend their positions to your face.

My final point is that JR could do more by hiring a PR firm (or do it himself if he had the time) to undo the negative image of that one press release. Instead, he chose the reflexive "lawsuit" path. The path of least resistance in my opinion. Some people have misinterpreted my admonistions to JR as weakness and concilliatory, I feel different. I'd rather fight the war they (HRC, Reyes, et. al-- Not the City of Fresno) started on their turf instead of the crapshoot of the court system.

[MontanaBeth]

This is the right and just thing to do. Go get 'em.

[txradioguy]

Isn't amazing that the people who claim to be the most "tolerant" are usually the most narrow minded mean spirited people you've ever met? FR is no more a "hate group" than Mother Threresa was a bigot. Fight the good fight Jim and "Nuts" to the City of Fresno.

[dirtboy]

Jim, if you win 10 million bucks I suggest that you set up a program to pay for 5 people to freep Hillary 24/7 for the rest of her life. Even when she is 88 years old, I want freeper out on the street in front of her house.

Sounds like a really excellent way to spend some money. Devil costumes anyone?

I can just see Doc Raoul with a walker going back and forth in front of Hillary's nursing home.

[JavaTheHutt]

If Free Republic collects a dime of taxpayer monies as a result of litigation fever... can it still be called "conservative?" Is "Tort Reform" no longer a conservative political plank?

Ok, time for a reality check. I've never heard of "Tort Reform" being described as the absence of litigation. Since when did it become un-conservative to defend yourself? It's not like JimRob is pulling a Dr. Evil and asking for $100 billion. There is absolutely nothing unreasonable or unconservative about defending yourself and seeking fair restitution for damages inflicted.

More than you or I can ever fully appreciate, Free Republic is more than just a website to Jim Rob. Free Republic, Jim Rob, every member of Free Republic, and the principles upon which Jim Rob created this site have been maliciously attacked. I can certainly understand, and fully support his decision to settle this in a courtroom.

If someone burned down your house, would you not seek financial restitution for your losses?

[Way2Serious]

Hear! Freakin HEAR! Thar's GOLD in them there Courthouses!

It'll be interesting to see how we prove A MILLION DOLLARS worth of damage to the Free Republic website by the good citizen taxpayers of Fresno.

[Way2Serious]

Ok, time for a reality check.

That was the first thought that popped into my mind when I saw the figure of A MILLION DOLLARS. And, yes, Tort Reform - a huge GOP issue - does figure into this. One of its planks is the introduction of reality and common sense when calculating actual damages. Another is the complete rethinking of the idea of "punitive damages," which are of especially questionable value when suing a small municipality.

If any damages payable to the plaintiff in this case come from taxpayer funds then, yes, any association between conservatism and this lawsuit will be a joke.

[Entropy Squared]

Bravo! Way to go, Jim. Don't take any crap from those who would try to silence the best site on the internet.

[Houmatt]

Very good to hear you are not just going to lie down and allow people like Reyes to slander you and this site.

Go get 'em, Jim.

And if you need anything, you know where to find me.

[Bella_Bru]

Bump and bookmark!

[elbucko]

Sic 'em, Jim!

[Lazamataz]

Win baby win! :o)

[JavaTheHutt]

If any damages payable to the plaintiff in this case come from taxpayer funds then, yes, any association between conservatism and this lawsuit will be a joke

Ummm, if the citizens of Fresno don't want to pay for the results of slander,libel and defamation of character by city officials, then they can voice their opinion at election time. If they want city officials who are going to commit such actions, then they should saddle up to the bar and pay the tab.

If the citizens grow tired of paying for the actions of their officials, people will begin to demand that those elected and appointed to represent them be held accountable for actions such as this. If however, they find this behavior acceptable, then they are by proxy, endorsing and supporting those actions.

I guess you just aren't familiar with the old saying about "paying the piper".

[A Navy Vet]

Just curious...did you ask for a complete and public retraction and apology before reaching this point? And is the lawyer working on contingency? Thanks.

[subterfuge]

"Ms. Reyes seems to have been spanked publicly pretty hard "

But has Mz. Reyes publicly retracted her statements? If not, she deserves everything she gets imo.