Crystal Cox Blogger; "Confirmed: Bloggers Have First Amendment Rights as Corporate Media" Crystal L. Cox Blogger Ends the Monopoly of Free Speech that BIG Media Uses to CONTROL what "gets" to be called "Real News". Obsidian Finance Group v. Crystal L. Cox Defamation Case.

"Kudos to Free Speech Warriors - Crystal L. Cox and Eugene Volokh!

A big mahalo to Crystal L. Cox and Eugene Volokh for their valiant efforts to protect free press and free speech!

On January 17, 2014, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Crystal L. Cox from Eureka, Montana who was sued by for defamation by Kevin Padrick, an attorney and his company - Obsidian Finance Group, LLC. Cox had written posts exposing fraud, corruption, money-laundering and so forth.

I will quote the circumstances as reported in the Associated Press by Jeff Barnard.

Crystal L. Cox, a blogger from Eureka, Mont., now living in Port Townshend, Wash., was sued for defamation by Bend attorney Kevin Padrick and his company, Obsidian Finance Group LLC, after she made posts on several websites she created accusing them of fraud, corruption, money-laundering and other illegal activities. The appeals court noted Padrick and Obsidian were hired by Summit Accommodators to advise them before filing for bankruptcy, and that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court later appointed Padrick trustee in the Chapter 11 case. The court added that Summit had defrauded investors in its real estate operations through a Ponzi scheme.

A jury in 2011 had awarded Padrick and Obsidian $2.5 million.

"Because Cox's blog post addressed a matter of public concern, even assuming that Gertz is limited to such speech, the district court should have instructed the jury that it could not find Cox liable for defamation unless it found that she acted negligently," judge Andrew D. Hurwitz wrote. "We hold that liability for a defamatory blog post involving a matter of public concern cannot be imposed without proof of fault and actual damages."

The appeals court upheld rulings by the District Court that other posts by Cox were constitutionally protected opinion.

The Reports Committee for the Freedom of the Press also provided its statements in Barnard's article:

"Standards set by a 1974 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Gertz v. Robert Welch Inc., apply to everyone, not just journalists.

It's not a special right to the news media," he said. "So it's a good thing for bloggers and citizen journalists and others."

Barnard further reported that:

Though Cox acted as her own attorney, UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh, who had written an article on the issue, learned of her case and offered to represent her in an appeal. Volokh said such cases usually end up settled without trial, and it was rare for one to reach the federal appeals court level.

"It makes clear that bloggers have the same First Amendment rights as professional journalists," he said. "There had been similar precedents before concerning advocacy groups, other writers and book authors. This follows a fairly well established chain of precedents. I believe it is the first federal appeals court level ruling that applies to bloggers."

This ruling should be a clear reminder to misguided attorneys, corporations, developers or those with affluence to cease bullying or intimidating those who report the issues of the day.

Many concerned citizens have no choice but to create their own blogs and websites to level the playing field in this blossoming social media warfare.

The government has its plentiful public relations specialists, paid for by taxpayers. Corporations and special interests have their hired PR consultants. There are hired mercenaries who feel no qualms about spinning the facts. News media can be bought or controlled by big money or shut down.

It's not uncommon for the public to read articles or watch the TV news only to lament the irregularities or inadequate reporting. Oftentimes, critical issues are shunned or ignored by corporate media because of entwined relationships.

Bloggers with information or have intimate experiences and understanding of issues are critically needed now, more than ever.

Blog away!"

Source of Crystal Cox Blogger, Crystal L. Cox Blogger Article
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/choon-james/confirmed-bloggers-have-f_b_4657313.html

You are the MEDIA folks. 
Start a Blog and REPORT the REAL News.

For More about the Crystal Cox Case

http://ninthcircuitcrystalcoxappeal.blogspot.com/

http://www.crystalcoxcase.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Obsidian-Finance-Group-LLC-v-Crystal-Cox-Case-Archives/166887266854158

http://www.obsidianfinancesucks.com/

http://www.crystalcox.com/2014/04/crystal-cox-blogger-petition-for-writ.html

Yes. Exposing Corruption is ALSO a Free SPEECH Right.

Seriously? Gas Company poisons your water, you EXPOSE them, they Sue you For Libel. Wow ! Judge Say OK, that sounds Good to Me. BIGGER WoW.

This reminds me of Ol' Kevin Padrick, the bankruptcy trustee of the Summit 1031 Bankruptcy, Owner of Obsidian Finance Group as he violated the rights of Creditors and Investors, Bullied insiders, Lies Cheats and .. dare I say "steals, violates his clients trust and bankruptcy codes, and then when EXPOSED, sues the blogger that the whistle blower told their story to. WOW.

Range Resources reminds me a bit of First Amendment Attorney Marc Randazza of Randazza Legal Group in an over the top attempt to "bully those who speak critical of him".

It is our First Amendment RIGHT to expose corruption, to "speak critical" and yes even to BLOW the WHISTLE. We are ALL Media Now.

So here we have water lighting on FIRE. Not just any water, but "Drinking Water". Geez this man is such a "Defamer". See he TELLS ON THEM, and the case is Dismissed, oh and INSULT to injury, the CRIMINALS sue the VICTIM...

"

"Steve Lipsky, a Texas homeowner, has found himself at the center of a $3 million lawsuit for defamation from an oil and gas company, after he exposed the company for contaminating his water supply with methane and benzene.

Despite his attempts to avert the expensive legal entanglement, Julie Dermansky reports at DeSmogBlog that last month the Fort Worth Court of Appeals allowed the defamation case to move forward."

These JUDGES in small and large towns defend the "Big Money", the "Aggressive Lying Attorneys" and do NOT support those exposing Corruption. I say KEEP EXPOSING THEM.

"Lipsky sued Range Resources originally in 2011, prompted by an Environmental Protection Agency order that Range Resources endangered Texas residents’ health. His case was dismissed, because the presiding judge claimed there was no jurisdiction, but Range Resources took the unusual step of countersuing Lipsky for libel. It alleged that Lipsky and others conspired to get “the EPA and the media to wrongly label and prosecute Range as a polluter of the environment.” The company said that his public video of Lipsky lighting on fire a methane-filled hose escaping from his water well was an unfair portrayal, even though Lipsky maintains he can still set the water on fire in a video from October."

Legitimate cases of Defamation are dismissed, cases endangering our life, families and livlihood are dismissed yet JUDGES let the CORRUPT, the "Bad Guy" keep coming for those of us exposing THEM for their "Real", "True" and "Factual" BAD, Unethical, Illegal and Unconstitutional Behavior.

HEY We will STOP Suing YOU if YOU SHUT UP.. , this is the same thing that Kevin Padrick and Tonkon Torp Law Firm did to Blogger Crystal Cox. Most all real estate lawsuits are like this as well, KEEPING the TRUTH suppressed. I say NO MORE. Expose the "Bad Guys.

"For Range Resources, it’s common practice to silence critics through settlement agreements or lawsuits. In Pennsylvania, it settled with a homeowner with one major caveat: The entire family, including two young children, could never speak publicly about their polluted home — for the rest of their lives. These settlements mean there are an unknown number of times residents must choose between exposing a company and accepting compensation to relocate."

Source of above Quotes and to Read the Full Article
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/08/2913651/steve-lipsky-range-resources/

Our State, Local, and Federal Government Agencies 

ANSWER to US.

EXPOSE THEM, Stand UP.

The only HELP you have is to BE your own MEDIA. Expose every detail, every document, every person, over and over and over. Keep speaking the TRUTH.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=603BD5Y4lCE

File Criminal Charges against EACH person in a Government Position that is aiding and abetting. Steve Lipsky is a HERO. Stand behind him and stand up to CORRUPTION in your neck of the woods.

Also Check Out the Following Blogs, Links on this VERY important Topic

http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/11/06/steve-lipsky-s-flaming-tapwater-no-joke
"Lipsky can light the water coming out of his well on fire." Yet he is sued for 3 Million for Exposing the "Bad Guys". ~ "On October 10, 2013, the Fort Worth Court of Appeals ruled that Range Resources could move forward with their defamation suit against Lipsky, based in part on accusations that Lipsky is misleading the public about being able to set his water on fire."

http://www.themudflats.net/archives/40895

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/steve-lipsky