Judge denies 9/11 damages from Herald

[Robb]

DURANGO -- A 6th Judicial District Court magistrate Thursday rejected a Durango woman's small-claims demand against The Durango Herald for $7,500 to pay for her efforts to reveal what she maintains was a conspiracy to cover up the truth about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Magistrate Douglas S. Walker ruled for the defendant and against the plaintiff based on constitutional guarantees and case law upholding freedom of speech and freedom of the press. In fact, Walker prefaced the hearing by saying that courts can't tell newspapers what to publish or what not to publish, which would be a violation of the First Amendment.

(snip)

Pfeif appeared to choke up as she spoke of the harm that could befall her family - two sons and two daughters - and the community from lack of information to make "life-or-death decisions" resulting from the 9/11 attacks. She also said she wants to raise the reporting standard of The Durango Herald from "negligence to responsibility."

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[SidDithers]

1. Correct ruling, IMO ...

would have opened a huge can of worms had the plaintiff won in this case.

Sid

[Jazz2006]

2. Thanks, Robb.

Correct decision, and not unexpected as the lawsuit had no merit, given that there has never been an obligation upon a newspaper to publish any particular story that a reader might wish to be published.