What sentient being doesn't know that Wonkette is now a slander merchant corporate gossip site run by the Gawker/Defamer Nick Denton?

Is D.C. Superior Court Judge John Bayly that dumb, or is he just one of those senile jurists who should have retired years ago?

Somebody show him how to do a google search. He could look up the new Wonkette Editor 20-year old dropout Alex Pareene who looks to be next week's Ben Domenech; a slick out-of-control liar to the core.

It should be noted that Alex Pareene slandered Finnerty in that post on the Duke Lacrosse case falsely claiming "There were other Duke "laxers" there but he (Finnerty) was the only convicted one."

What conviction is that?

I hope if the party item is false (it has the ring of a malicious lie planted by one of Bloxsom's Georgetown buddies, perhaps Pareene himself) that the deep-pocketed Denton is sued into eternity

Denton is the true bottom-feeder of the internet.

(The real hate crime here is that some rich white guy funds a 20-year Pareene to blog his sexism, racist garbage like this one:
http://www.wonkette.com/politics/michelle-malkin/we-are-selling-our-tv-and-only-watching-this-from-now-on-175134.php

Ana Marie Cox, where are you?

Sounds like the judge is salivating at the prospect of putting Finnerty in jail. He assails his attorneys for his missing a curfew (although he had permission to do it), and threatens him with jail.

Now, he's reading Wonkette and then says that he's going to check into the matter after the attorney denies it. (So he is calling the attorney a liar?)

God help me if I ever have to go before a court which is already determined to put me in jail no matter what I have done or not done.

It sounds to me as though Judge Bayly is DYING to put Collin Finnerty in jail. Moreover, since Durham DA Mike Nifong labeled the lacrosse players as vicious racists, a jail sentence in a place like D.C. (or North Carolina) would be hit or miss for any one of them.

Once again we see the double-edged sword of this case. On the one hand, these three boys must be going through total hell. On the other hand, Americans are seeing how horrifying the U.S. criminal system can be once someone falls into the grinding of the machine.

Very funny:
Before personally attacking a 20 year old, consider two things. First, Pareene did not "slander" Finnerty - the tipster that saw Finnerty at the party wrote the "convicted" line. Second, the racist comment was made by the "operative" in the AIM conversation, not by Pareene.

I agree that it was poor editing w/regards to the Finnerty post, and bad taste w/regards to the Malkin post. But by personally attacking Pareene without knowing him or the facts, aren't you engaging in the very behavior of which you're complaining?

Pareene slandered Finnerty by publishing the "tipsters" slander. Same with the "operative." Even if "tipster" and "operative" are real people and even if it really was with them that the slander originated, it is slander to republish it and the republisher is just as liable for it as the original "tipster" or "operative." The idea is to protect someone against defamation. That protection would be too easily defeated by saying, simply, "I didn't say it - HE did. I just published what HE said."

Geez - you people make me want to start reading Wonkette again just to spite you.

That the Judge would actually question the Lawyer in open court over an anonymous tip in a blog like Wonkette shows a prejudical viewpoint!

He was wrong on the first item regarding breaking the court imposed curfew and now this and now this!

The most salient fact that cam out of yesterday's court session was both sides agree that Finnerty never hit Bloxsom! Why is this case even happening?

Major Pet Peeve: People, please remember. Slander is spoken. Libel is written.

"Moreover, since Durham DA Mike Nifong labeled the lacrosse players as vicious racists, a jail sentence in a place like D.C. (or North Carolina) would be hit or miss for any one of them.

Once again we see the double-edged sword of this case. On the one hand, these three boys must be going through total hell. On the other hand, Americans are seeing how horrifying the U.S. criminal system can be once someone falls into the grinding of the machine."

Exactly true. This young man (Finnerty) could end up scarred for life by this. A white "racist" in DC prison? And the only thing he did wrong (no thinking person actually thinks hes guilty of rape) was at a DC bar, where all of the participants were somewhat intoxicated. Grinding of the system indeed.

I say kudos to Judge Bayly for "looking into it." I can guarantee you that many a criminal defendant in this town has had his bail revoked on evidence more flimsy than a "wonk'd" sighting on Wonkette. Oh, wait. Finnerty is a wealthy white boy. They're the only ones who are presumed innocent. Sorry, I forgot.

Oh, fer cripes sake! All this is is that the judge heard about the alleged sighting and brought it to the attention of both sides.

Obviously the blind item alone can't be used as any kind of evidence -- it's hearsay twice over. But, if the prosecutor could find a partygoer who could testify to seeing Finnerty there . . .

Until then, it's a long way from 'rumor' to 'salivating'.

This whole appearance seems bogus. What happens when the trumped up case in NC gets thrown out of court ? Does this guy then get out of jail because he did not violate the judge's orders?