Criticizing Your Judge Online Is Protected Free Speech
from the in-case-you-were-wondering dept
Almost exactly four years ago, we wrote about the case of Paul Trummel, a resident in a Seattle senior citizens home, who had been writing a newsletter/pamphlet at the home criticizing the place. The home tried to stop him, and he sued to get them to allow it. Whatever he did in court ticked off the judge something fierce, as the judge went in the other direction completely and issued an injunction to stop Trummel from handing out his newsletter. So, instead, Trummel went online and wrote up a big rant about the case, the senior citizen home and the judge. Again, this didn't make the judge happy -- leading to a contempt of court charge and an indefinite period of time in jail. He was told he could come out when he took down the website -- which was difficult to do from jail, with no internet access. One of the controversial points made was that Trummel somehow wasn't a "real" journalist, since he wasn't employed by a news organization. A few months later he was let out and took down the site, rather than being sent back to jail. However, he did sue, saying that his First Amendment rights were violated -- and it only took these four years for the Washington state Supreme Court to rule that the trial judge clearly overstepped his authority in throwing Trummel in jail. That said, the court also indicates that much of what Trummel did can be considered harassment, and he still faces charges for harassment. However, on the free speech side of things, it appears putting up such a website is perfectly legal.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Harrassment?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Human Rights Violation
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Violation of Law and Right
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Monetary damages?
Money isn't going to give him back the time the judge took from him. There's got to be a better way.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Monetary damages?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Monetary damages?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Right to a speedy trial?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Our entire criminal system is so bloated and corrupt I can only equate it with Microsoft if they were running more than our operating systems (not to be taken seriously). Could you imagine if MS ran the government, or any other mega-corporation for that matter?
Our courts are clogged with BS cases. It's all about me, and how can I get some easy money.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Justice isn't only for Nice People
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Judges
This however seems to have been a case of some form of mental disturbance in the old man and he should not have been thrown in jail for that. The courts should be a lot thicker skinned than that.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
We The People
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Paul Trummel
He was not "tossed" in jail for criticising the judge; but for harrassment of tenants of Council House. His harrassment included egregious threats against seniors, some as old as 90+. His accusations against people & staff never occurred, except in his sick mind. The man is also an anti-Semite who tries to cover up his vehement hatred of Jews by claiming he's Jewish, one more of his many lies. He lies about facts, his so-called university degrees are all false; everything he says are lies, meant to bilk people out of money to support his bus-load of court cases against all his "enemies." I invite anyone out there to visit Council House & find out the truth. And contact the University of Washington to see Trummel's absurd charges against them. You support him and you are not supporting Freedom of the Press or Expression; you are supporting the most disgusting threats against people, in their final years & in illness, who cannot protect themselves. While Trummel laughs at you, all the way to his hidden bank accounts.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Paul Trummel
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Paul Trummel
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Free Speech
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Free Speech
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Free Speech
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Free Speech
In our system, Free Speech is not something that should have to be always battled over, yet it is. When the courts don't even follow the laws (and the constitution is the supreme law), then anarchy will already exist.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Free Speech
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Power of Judges
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:Mason's comments
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Your ignorance has overtaken your subjective intelligence, if you've ever had any.
Trummel's anti-Semitism, his hatred of women, his hatred of homosexuals and people of all non-Causcasian races and ethnic backgrounds is one of the major motivating forces for that sociopathic paranoid schzophrenic.
His whole attacks on others are based on his pre-conceived prejudices.
And BTW, anti-Semitism is not racism. Jews and followers of the Jewish religion are not a race. And the only race cards being played are those played by Trummel himself.
You also seem to have an incredinbly unbalanced idea of what constitutes support of a person.
The man, Trummel, is a pathological liar. His so-called resume is filled with lies. Fake degrees, fake organizations, etc.
Yet you swallow his lies about others with no capacity or interest yourself to find out the truth.
Maybe you enjoy being a sheep led around by people like Trummel. Too bad.
But any of us who have done even the slightest homework into this sicko's activity, have found out how dangerous he is.
This is not about Free Speech. Anyone can write anything on the net. Big effing deal.
But to treat his crap with any respect, then you and others are no better than those who swallowed the lies of Hitler and gladly led masses to the death camps.
Sure, on the internet, maybe, Hitler would've been entitled to Free Speech. But to have your worship like you worship Trummel, another hate-monger?
Open your eyes next time, before you open your mouth.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Your ignorance has overtaken your subjective intelligence, if you've ever had any.
Trummel's anti-Semitism, his hatred of women, his hatred of homosexuals and people of all non-Causcasian races and ethnic backgrounds is one of the major motivating forces for that sociopathic paranoid schzophrenic.
His whole attacks on others are based on his pre-conceived prejudices.
And BTW, anti-Semitism is not racism. Jews and followers of the Jewish religion are not a race. And the only race cards being played are those played by Trummel himself.
You also seem to have an incredinbly unbalanced idea of what constitutes support of a person.
The man, Trummel, is a pathological liar. His so-called resume is filled with lies. Fake degrees, fake organizations, etc.
Yet you swallow his lies about others with no capacity or interest yourself to find out the truth.
Maybe you enjoy being a sheep led around by people like Trummel. Too bad.
But any of us who have done even the slightest homework into this sicko's activity, have found out how dangerous he is.
This is not about Free Speech. Anyone can write anything on the net. Big effing deal.
But to treat his crap with any respect, then you and others are no better than those who swallowed the lies of Hitler and gladly led masses to the death camps.
Sure, on the internet, maybe, Hitler would've been entitled to Free Speech. But to have your worship like you worship Trummel, another hate-monger?
Open your eyes next time, before you open your mouth.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Mr. Yung:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]