Texan Court Refuses Jurisdiction for Pre-Suit Discovery in Anonymous Blogger Defamation Case
The Supreme Court of Texas has refused to provide the identity of an anonymous blogger, in a 5-4 split decision released this week. The blogger initially claimed to be an employee of the Plaintffs’ company. He created a site in 2007 which targeted a business and its CEO, making a number of disparaging comments about the Plaintiffs and alleging involvement in a Ponzi scheme.
The Plaintiffs sought the identity of the blogger through Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 202, which states,
202.1 A person may petition the court for an order authorizing the taking of a deposition on oral