Kingston Mayor Jim Sottile has filed a libel suit against Clark Richters over comments made on his blog, Ulster County Politics, allegedly reporting that the Mayor was going to be indicted on bid rigging. In the suit Sottile claims to have suffered ridicule, damage to his good name and reputation and is seeking 100 thousand dollars in damages.
Mayor Sottile and his attorney Joe O'Connor, are both friends of mine so I'm not going to comment on the matter. I do feel however, Sottile is trying to make a point with this lawsuit more than anything else. Furthermore, Jim Sottile is a person with a family and just because he is a public official does not give anyone the right to say whatever they want about him.
22 comments:
You should practice what you preach and edit some of the rediculous and occasionally hurtful libel that people spew in the comments to this blog...
it's free speech. Nothing can be done. so get over it.
It takes a big man like Jim Sottile to do this. What is really a pity is that Jim Sottile does not have the armour to shield his feelings from such freedom of the press.
If the Mayor wins, he'll be lucky enough to get $100 from a loser like Clark Richters. ;)
Buh-Bye Clark..move back to your mountain clap-board outhouse in West Virginia, Redneck!
Ward 2 Democrat
Good for Sottile...it was about time someone called these people to task who just publish completely unsubstantiated garbage as fact. Be forwarned Blabber...just as easily could of been you on several occassions. Even if the Mayor loses...unless Richter gets attorney's fees...was printing unsubstantiated rumor worth it? Probably not.
freedom of press? What moron called completely false made up accusations presented as fact freedom of the press? The freedom does not go any where near that far and was never meant to.
Go get em Jimmy.......
Jeremy, Would you like to play the roll of Tattoo?
The Dumb Ass Test, Is Clark Richters a politician?
The Average Vote total for a Winning Alderman in Kingston is from 300-600 votes. Clark got 9.
Nice going!
5:24 PM
I'm not worried about anyone suing me. I have never written anything libelous or have I said anything slanderous. I provide a website that brings information out to the community.
This blog has achieved something that really has never been seen before on a local level. I'm up to over a thousand visits a day. It's kind of like Cable news, it's a 24/7 constant flow of ideas and opinions that are exchanged.
As for Clark, I think his heart is in the right place but he has people that use him through his blog to write things that are simply untrue.
Sottile and him should talk the whole thing out in my humble opinion.
to 5:26, Here is an answer your question.
Hugh Reynolds and other editors at the Freeman have. Many times.
How about you people realizing that YOUR mayor is wasting time and energy on a ridiculous issue like this and not doing anything productive in this city?
Being a public figure does open the door to scrutiny and public comments, like them or not.
Clark didnt exactly say that he WAS going to be indicted, he mentioned that he could....
Jim is a wuss who can act tough against Richters, but what does he do against the people in this city with power? Nothing...just let them keep building more tax free homes for the needy and give em all more tax breaks.
You 3600 should be proud of the dope you elected!
Note to Jim: Spend your time worrying about the taxes, crime,welfare and subsidised housing, these issues are crippling this city, not Clark richters
Wrong: Clark Richters is bad for Kingston and bad for America. He is an enemy combatant and should be shipped to Guantanamo!!!!!!
Ward Cleaver
The Mayor was not ridiculed for any personal reason or about his family - it was in the context of his actions as a public official - what is the big deal?
2:52 PM
I hope you got a Million dollars for your comment?
Whatever happened to asking someone, if a mistake has been made, to publish a disclaimer - and leave it at that?
I know of some false (or definitely stretched to the limit) information that was recently presented in the "Daily Freeman," and the last I knew the parties concerned (those upset) were going to simply ask the paper to publically acknowlege (in print) that they had made a mistake and/or were not as clear as they should have been...
Or - otherwise put - why always jump to mean and nasty? Why not throw some kindness in the mix? Talk it out? Work it through?
Blaber, a thousand visits a day? Judging from the number of votes in your poll, the same 50 people must come back 20 times each.
Clint Brown visits here at least 6 times a day, unless he's busy fingerpainting.
Alejandra Fuentes-Diaz
woder if its the tax payers that are gonna pay his lawyer or if its kick back money
Please retract the negative comments about Richters.
clark isnt a bad person, i went to school with him back in brigham.. our mayor sucks.. and i feel its ture. you people voted this guy in so he can give his friends a tax break . give buildings to the gay . so mayor why dont you do your job and stop raising our taxes so we wont loose our homes..
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