Judge Apologizes, Pays $100k To Tom Siebel For Malicious Lawsuit

from the you-don't-see-that-every-day dept

Now here's something you don't often see. As part of a settlement, a California judge has publicly apologized and paid Tom Siebel $100,000 to settle a twelve-year battle over charges of sexual discrimination filed against Siebel by this judge back when she was an attorney. Siebel, who founded the software company which bore his name until it was sold to Oracle, was sued in 1996 for wrongful termination and sexual discrimination in the firing of a sales exec who was represented by this judge (before she was a judge). However, there was little evidence to support the claims, and all were thrown out (other than a claim that Siebel had failed to pay some past due bonuses). After the case ended, Siebel then sued the attorneys for malicious prosecution -- and this agreement is the settlement. Siebel, who doesn't need the money, says he'll donate it to Stanford to be used in a program on legal ethics.
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Filed Under: apologies, malicious prosecution, tom siebel
Companies: siebel


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  1. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2008 @ 12:13pm

    So, where is the tech in this tech dirt? Seriously, I don't see anything related to technology in this blog post or the article it links to. The subject here is a sexual harassment lawsuit, not technology. Just because Tom Siebel is a rich software mogul (as the article states), that doesn't mean this is tech dirt. Please don't lose focus here. I enjoy reading the posts here, and I don't want it to become just another typical gossip column.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2008 @ 12:20pm

    Re:

    Lighten the fuck up jackass

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    Mike (profile), 2 May 2008 @ 12:20pm

    Re:

    Sorry you feel that way. I found the story interesting as it covered both a technology company and malicious lawsuits -- something we cover here all the time.

    Just because there's the name "tech" in the title does not limit us to purely tech focused stories. Since the beginning, it has always covered technology, business and legal issues.

    This was an interesting legal issue because a sitting judge had to pay up for a malicious lawsuit against a tech company. I found that interesting, and thus wrote about it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Matt, 2 May 2008 @ 12:25pm

    Re: Re:

    Try a little of that yourself. I enjoy Techdirt because it doesn't deteriorate into posts like yours the way Slashdot does every four seconds. Go away.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    GeneralEmergency (profile), 2 May 2008 @ 12:26pm

    Re:

    Grrrr....

    The post goes to "Ethics in Action" which intersects tech at many levels. How tech evolves is often valved via the courts and the ballooning "Lawyersphere". Here's a case where a determined, wrongfully sued (and albeit well funded) plaintiff took the system to the mat and MADE it say it was sorry. Mike is clearly interested in ethics and I appreciate his posting these stories.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    A. L. Flanagan, 2 May 2008 @ 12:38pm

    Appropriateness

    I've got to go with Anonymous Coward message #2 on this one. Or GeneralEmergency if we're being polite. :)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    JB, 2 May 2008 @ 12:49pm

    Tech DIRT

    Cripes where are the articles about dirt on this "techdirt" site?

    If you're going to create a blog about the technology of dirt don't you think you should make some posts that are on-topic?

    It's not like there isn't any breaking news:

    http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/29/healthscience/dirt.php

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2008 @ 1:35pm

    Re: Re:

    I appreciate your response, and I understand that it's your site and you can write about whatever the heck you feel like writing about. I just wanted to let you know what I've come to expect from you and TechDirt, and that I felt this was a bit of a sidetrack. I apologize if it sounded like a slam post.

    I look at TechDirt as a source of news about the world of technology, which was not the focus of this article. It's just a sexual harassment lawsuit involving somebody who just happens to be a big name in software. It doesn't appear that the article involves technology at all. I just felt like this post was a bit of a stretch from the usual content of the site. Again, it is your site to do with as you please, and I appreciate the fact that you listened to my opinion and gave it an intelligent response (unlike some people here).

    And to the person that threw profanity in my direction, let me just tell you that I never use that language on anyone. I feel like I can get my point across without resorting that. If you have an opinion of me, that's perfectly fine. Just please state your opinion in an intelligent matter, and treat others the way you yourself would want to be treated.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    eleete, 2 May 2008 @ 1:52pm

    Re: Coward

    "Siebel, who founded the software company which bore his name" did you read it the first time 'round ?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Cixelsid, 2 May 2008 @ 2:48pm

    Re: Re:

    Motion seconded and carried.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 May 2008 @ 4:04pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Wow, gotta love how pretentious windbags are prominent on the internet.

    Got a solution for you. Don't like it? Don't read it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Oxy, 2 May 2008 @ 4:27pm

    legal ethics

    Oxymoron if I ever saw one

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Adrian in Dallas, 4 May 2008 @ 3:50am

    Where's the REST of the story...?

    Am I the only one to notice that the news story failed to mention the name of the sued judge who had to apologize..? I wonder why...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. icon
    Mike (profile), 4 May 2008 @ 3:26pm

    Re: Where's the REST of the story...?

    Am I the only one to notice that the news story failed to mention the name of the sued judge who had to apologize..? I wonder why...

    Because I didn't think it was important to the story, and anyone who wants to know can click the link to find out.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Wanki Logan, 4 May 2008 @ 10:09pm

    Now About That "Judge"

    I'm amazed that in 14 comments, nobody asked how this bit(h got to be a judge.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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