Bengal's Cheerleader Update

Dixie Heights High School teacher, Sarah Jones (pic, left), the moonlighting "Ben-Gals" cheerleader publicly addressed local media Monday for the first time since obtaining an $11 million default judgment versus an Internet company that operates a gossip website.

Ms. Jones told the Kentucky Enquirer, "This is not a publicity stunt, this is not for media. I don't want my face out there. I want to teach, and that is all I want to do."

U.S. District Judge William Bertelsman entered the default  judgment against Dirty Word Entertainment Recordings last week, it remains to be seen whether Ms. Jones' attorney Eric Deters sued the correct defendant or beyond a publicity coup, whether he will be able to collect his judgment.  I have my doubts.

Attorney Deters, alleged in the suit that the California limited liability corporation that does business under the name Thedirt.com, and the website which ran a story saying Ms. Jones had two venereal diseases carried disclaimers noting that the information came from an ex-boyfirend (nice!)  Want to date this "prince?" 

Thedirty.com, is run by some character named, Hooman Karamian.  He isn't responding to media inquiries, but he wrote on his website that Ms. Jones sued the wrong company.  Mr.Karamian, also goes by the name Nik Richie, is a named defendant in the case, but Mr. Deters did not get "service" on his complaint and so does not have a default against Karamian, personally.

Ms. Jones says she is using the publicity as a "teachable moment" since her students are abuzz with the story, the gossip, and the pictures from the Internet. "I decided I had nothing to hide. [no kidding!] There is nothing I need to back down from."

Ms. Jones teaches four English classes of 15-year-olds.    Good luck, on that!

Anonymous Gossip

No, this isn't another A.A. post, the Legal Profession blawg tips to this Indiana Disciplinary Case, In Re Anonymous.  Only slightly ironically, the Indiana Disciplinary authorities "privately" reprimanded an attorney who blew the confidentiality of a divorce client.  The disciplined attorney represented a company where the client was employed.  She sought his advice on locating a divorce attorney.  Subsequently he disclosed to third party that the client had divorced her husband, unaware that the couple had in fact reconciled.  The third party offered his sympathy to the client at a cocktail party, you can imagine her surprise.

Well in fact you don't need to, it resulted in this disciplinary case.

Uh, advice: maintain client confidences, don't gossip about client matters.

Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others. It forms one of the oldest and most common means of sharing alleged facts and views, but also gossip introduces errors and other variations into the information transmitted.  Gossip can harm, in fact it is often intended to harm.

The Blond Super Lawyer, has been a champ, through my career descent; and she has struggled mightily to maintain her corporate-based business and stay focused despite all the misfortune I've brought on us.  Recently she was at a professional retreat when a colleague shared some "painful gossip" the colleague heard from an attorney/competitor.  For me it's sort of funny, since at this point in my life, . . . what can you say about me that's really going to harm my reputation which hasn't already been publicly and officially said?

But the BSL, is an awesomely talented employment defense attorney.  The gossip about her was malicious, false, and apparently motivated by a not very charitable feelings by her competitor.  It was the "evil eye."  The BSL didn't deserve this "gossip."  Gossip of this sort hurts the person who transmits it, and the person who is the target of it.  Gossip demeans the dignity of the gossip and the person gossiped about.

I have tried to offer the consoling view that the BSL must be very threatening to her competitor since he and his supervisors feel motivated to encourage gossip about the BSL--but, more importantly the gossip-er, in question, is an attorney; do you want him entrusted with your confidences?  Me neither.