Ted Rall Says Lawsuit Against Coulter Now Possible

[Jon8503]

By E&P Staff

NEW YORK Editorial cartoonist Ted Rall announced on his blog that supporters have pledged enough money for him to sue columnist Ann Coulter. But the suit is still not 100% definite.

Rall didn't disclose the exact amount of money now pledged. But he had announced late last month -- when the total neared $20,000 -- that he was getting close.

The cartoonist is considering a suit against Coulter for her comment, made last month in a speech and in her column, that Rall was among those entering Iran's Holocaust cartoon contest. Given that Iran's leader has questioned the Holocaust's existence, Rall feels Coulter's followers might have gotten the false impression that he's also a Holocaust revisionist (E&P Online, Feb. 16).

Rall -- who, like Coulter, is with Universal Press Syndicate -- told E&P last month: "I was a history major in college, and World War II was my specialty. There's no Holocaust denier here."

In his Friday blog entry, Rall stated: "Thanks to hundreds of generous pledgers we now have enough money committed to launching a slander and libel suit against Coulter for her remarks falsely claiming that I had entered Iran's Holocaust cartoon contest. Now I'm working with my lawyers on minutiae and legal research to make sure that those funds are used wisely. ...

"Of course, should this move forward, I will rely upon those of you who have not contributed to keep the lawsuit going all the way to the end. As for now, however, we probably have enough to get started."


http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/syndicates/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002157528

[Independent_Liberal]

1. K&R!

Thanks for posting this Jon. Couldn't happen to somebody more deserving.

[derby378]

2. Greatest Page, baby!

K&R!!

[TheBaldyMan]

3. imagine if everbody that hatefilled woman had slandered sued her

at the same time.

Can somebody use the 'It was meant as a joke' defence to get out of slander/libel or does that only work for deflecting media attention, make you wonder.

[unblock]

4. satire/joke is a permissible defense.

but of course you have to make your case that it was, in fact, meant that way and that a reasonable listener would understand it that way.

[IndyOp]

6. Ann ends many of her outrageous statements with 'that's just a joke..

...in case any liberals are listening'.

She said that someone should poison Justice Stephens' creme broulee' and followed with 'that's just a joke in case any liberals are listening'.

I've heard it from her several other times after having said similar outrageous statements - and *this* reasonable listener doesn't understand her statements to be jokes even when followed with 'that's just a joke in case any liberals are listening'.

Thus, whether or not she remembers to add 'that's just a joke in case any liberals are listening' - there are some statements - like I 'hope he dies soon' or 'Holocaust didn't happen' - that are just so offensive that I hope no reasonable listener could understand them as 'jokes'.

I know you don't need a lecture -- the American Public apparently does.

:grr:

[unblock]

8. right. same goes got rush's "entertainment". it's not JUST a joke

even if it is a joke, it's not JUST a joke.
they have a real, dangerous purpose in putting that violent extremism crap out there. they toss in the "just joking" or "i'm just an entertainer" crap to distance themselves from accountability.

i don't buy it for one minute, they know exactly what they're putting out there and they know that the consequences can be deadly for their targets of hatred.

but this does mean that rall will have a difficult time with his case. he's not dealing with legal naives. they have anticipated legal challenges and are prepared for them. and lord knows they have deep pockets....

[Alpharetta]

5. As much as I respect Rall's POV and fine cartoons....

I think this threat of litigation is kind of ironic, considering his own professional license for satire.

[EstimatedProphet]

9. Satire is one thing

Rall has yet to defame anyone. he also hasn't publically called for people's murder, which Coulter has done several times.

[InsultComicDog]

11. I have to agree

I hate any precedent that later could be used to suppress our own free speech. To me Coulter's comment was an obvious joke. Not a good joke, not a tasteful joke, but obviously not meant to be taken literally.

[Kurovski]

7. Balls to the wall, Ann!

[PatrioticLeftie]

10. Well, good

I'm glad someone's trying to shut up that velociraptor. But I do hope they at least mention all the other horrific statements it has made over the years, the last few especially.

[raysr]

12. deleted