The Tomcyzk case is not being reported quite so accurately. The case was dismissed, I believe, by "summary judgement." The judge determined that Tomcyzk, not a senator at the time, was a public figure and did not enjoy the protections of a regular citizen. This was potentially a mistake and he maintains his innocence. The court case is online. Legally, I think that if he proves "malice" he can still sue. I certainly claim to be no legal expert though.
Looking back on it, I did have some awkward wording at the start that makes it look like the Pilot sued Tomczyk, though the subsequent part of the sentence made it clear it was Tomczyk who sued. I guess the appeals court can decided if the initial ruling was in error in determining that Tomczyk was a public figure, since he wasn't a state senator at the time; but he was a leading voice in the A Community for All debates and also hosted public rallies against masking and other COVID precautions, so I could see an argument that he was a public figure (you don't have to be a politician to be a public figure). But the appellate court will decide whether the circuit court's decision was in error or not.
Hello again BC,
The Tomcyzk case is not being reported quite so accurately. The case was dismissed, I believe, by "summary judgement." The judge determined that Tomcyzk, not a senator at the time, was a public figure and did not enjoy the protections of a regular citizen. This was potentially a mistake and he maintains his innocence. The court case is online. Legally, I think that if he proves "malice" he can still sue. I certainly claim to be no legal expert though.
Orlando
Looking back on it, I did have some awkward wording at the start that makes it look like the Pilot sued Tomczyk, though the subsequent part of the sentence made it clear it was Tomczyk who sued. I guess the appeals court can decided if the initial ruling was in error in determining that Tomczyk was a public figure, since he wasn't a state senator at the time; but he was a leading voice in the A Community for All debates and also hosted public rallies against masking and other COVID precautions, so I could see an argument that he was a public figure (you don't have to be a politician to be a public figure). But the appellate court will decide whether the circuit court's decision was in error or not.
Thanks for the update!
I wasn’t sure what was happening with WP as I hadn’t had a chance to read their email.
You bet, thanks for reading!