ACORN Sues Filmmakers

[Bruno]

http://wjz.com/wireapnewsmd/APNewsBreak.ACORN.files.2.1203697.html

Sep 23, 2009 4:55 pm US/Eastern APNewsBreak: ACORN Sues Filmmakers
BEN NUCKOLS, Associated Press Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) ― ACORN has filed a lawsuit against the makers of a hidden-camera video that showed employees of its Baltimore office giving tax advice to a man posing as a pimp and a woman posing as a prostitute.

The liberal activist group contends that the audio portion of the video was obtained illegally because Maryland requires two-party consent to create sound recordings.

The two employees seen in the video were fired after it was posted online. The lawsuit says the employees, Tonja Thompson and Shera Williams, suffered "extreme emotional distress."

The multimillion-dollar lawsuit seeks damages from James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, who played the pimp and prostitute in the videos, and from conservative columnist Andrew Breitbart, who posted the videos on his Web site.

[JoshLowry]

The liberal activist group contends that the audio portion of the video was obtained illegally because Maryland requires two-party consent to create sound recordings.

Terrible law.

[Deborah K]

Those were just two kids for Pete's sake. Hope they set up a chip-in at biggovernment.org (?) They're gonna need help defending themselves. F'kn ACORN!! They got caught red-handed and they're using those poor kids as scapegoats. Shameful!!!

[Bruno]

Terrible law.

If the filmmaker and the "prostitute" both consented (which they obviously did), that might be a loophole.

[torchbearer]

more bad publicity for acorn...they will continue to remind people how crappy they really are... you'd think they'd want people to forget.

[angelatc]

http://wjz.com/wireapnewsmd/APNewsBreak.ACORN.files.2.1203697.html

Sep 23, 2009 4:55 pm US/Eastern APNewsBreak: ACORN Sues Filmmakers
BEN NUCKOLS, Associated Press Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) ― ACORN has filed a lawsuit against the makers of a hidden-camera video that showed employees of its Baltimore office giving tax advice to a man posing as a pimp and a woman posing as a prostitute.

I miss having lawyers around here. I wonder how ACORN has the right to sue? Wouldn't that right belong to the 2 fired employees?

[Live_Free_Or_Die]

nt

[Deborah K]

If the filmmaker and the "prostitute" both consented (which they obviously did), that might be a loophole.

Two-party meaning both sides of the conversation as in us vs. them

[torchbearer]

The kids just need to play like the big boys. File bankruptcy and tell acorn to kiss your ass!

yeah, just don't show up for the trials, let acorn waste its money, then if there is a judgement against you, just file for bankruptcy and tell them to suck it.

[Deborah K]

I miss having lawyers around here. I wonder how ACORN has the right to sue? Wouldn't that right belong to the 2 fired employees?

You make a very fine point. Although anyone can sue for anything, but if they brought up your point, it might get thrown out.

[Lord Xar]

Maybe we should bring a lawsuit against ACORN for being completely biased when they suggest they are a nonprofit favoring no political idealogy. SINCE they are accepting federal funds, perhaps we do have a basis for such a lawsuit.

[specsaregood]

I wonder how ACORN has the right to sue? Wouldn't that right belong to the 2 fired employees?
That is an excellent point.

So does this mean that no mainstream media in maryland has ever done an undercover sting such as this?

[paulitics]

Maybe we should bring a lawsuit against ACORN for being completely biased when they suggest they are a nonprofit favoring no political idealogy. SINCE they are accepting federal funds, perhaps we do have a basis for such a lawsuit.

Yep. And I was wondering, how the hell was it legal when Acorn stormed the town hall meetings with money paid from our pockets?

[angelatc]

That is an excellent point.

So does this mean that no mainstream media in maryland has ever done an undercover sting such as this?

Google Linda Tripp.

Stossel had an experience with it too.

[Deborah K]

The kids should countersue!

[tangent4ronpaul]

Those were just two kids for Pete's sake. Hope they set up a chip-in at biggovernment.org (?) They're gonna need help defending themselves. F'kn ACORN!! They got caught red-handed and they're using those poor kids as scapegoats. Shameful!!!

I smell a money bomb!

-t

[acptulsa]

I miss having lawyers around here. I wonder how ACORN has the right to sue? Wouldn't that right belong to the 2 fired employees?

The fired employees suffered severe emotional distress, according to ACORN. Sound like they're the ones that need to 'counter'sue the organization.

I pity the judge who decides to let this suit go forward on the basis of ACORN's concern for the disress of the people it fired.

[Bucjason]

This is bullshit ....any judge worth his salt is going to throw this out of court. It's just a CYA by acorn so they can say , " Look, we sued, there must have been an injustice done to us "

[sevin]

The two employees seen in the video were fired after it was posted online. The lawsuit says the employees, Tonja Thompson and Shera Williams, suffered "extreme emotional distress."

Oh no, the poor women who were going to let more than a dozen young girls live prostitutes suffered "extreme emotional distress." I wonder how many young girls have suffered emotional distress because of women like this who conspire with pimps.

[apropos]

This could prove to be a godsend for opponents of ACORN.


ACORN’s unavoidable problem, however, is that suing Fox News would give Fox — or any other media organization — the ultimate Christmas present: a legally enforceable way to compel ACORN to give up all its secrets.

The process by which a party to a lawsuit can force the opposing party to disclose information is called discovery, which can take the form of depositions, written questions, or demands for the production of documents. Under federal rules, a defendant can get court orders for discovery for any information relevant to its defense, except for privileged information such as attorney-client discussions.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27270.html

[torchbearer]

They should hire Bruce Fein to represent them