Comments on: “Publication of false information concerning the City of Pomona” https://www.overlawyered.com/2007/05/publication-of-false-information-concerning-the-city-of-pomona/ Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Sat, 24 May 2008 04:57:01 +0000 hourly 1 By: Walter Olson https://www.overlawyered.com/2007/05/publication-of-false-information-concerning-the-city-of-pomona/comment-page-1/#comment-7270 Mon, 14 May 2007 11:08:16 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/wpblog/?p=4903#comment-7270 Even assuming that the reportage was false and injurious, Glenn Reynolds asks, “why is the City Attorney making legal threats on behalf of a private interest? Because the city has no interest in not being libeled, and the City Manager’s interest is a personal one. Does the City Attorney routinely do personal legal work for city officials?”

]]> By: Supremacy Claus https://www.overlawyered.com/2007/05/publication-of-false-information-concerning-the-city-of-pomona/comment-page-1/#comment-7269 Mon, 14 May 2007 03:54:22 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/wpblog/?p=4903#comment-7269 From the remaining commentary, the blog alleged sexual conduct by an old official with a young woman. Names were named.

So, this was not disparagement of governance, which is absolutely protected. The lawyer included an unfortunate phrase alluding to the city’s reputation.

I am surprised by Prof. Volokh’s missing this point.

The bigger question for him is whether an anonymous character, a fictional entity, the blog may label an utterance as a rumor, and still be sued for libel of real people. What if the libel were of another fictional but identifiable character (identifiable to co-workers, for example)?

As a fictional character, I think about those questions.

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