Court Orders Newspaper To Disclosure Identity of Anonymous Blogger

In Ottinger v. The Journal News, ___Misc. 3d ___ (July 8, 2008) Westchester County (NY) Court Judge Rory J. Bellantoni reasoned: "There is no question that the First Amendment protects the right of a person to speak anonymously. That protection, however, is no greater than the right of a person to speak when their identity is known. . ." and a court "must balance the defendant's First Amendment right of anonymous free speech against the strength" of the plaintiff's case.

Details with additional links on Adjunct Law Prof Blog. [JH]