British libel laws a restrain on blogging?

by Transmontanus, 20 October 2007

Put yourself in the shoes of these Arizona Paddies:

In a breathtaking abuse of the United States Constitution, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, and their increasingly unhinged cat’s paw, special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik, used the grand jury to subpoena “all documents related to articles and other content published by Phoenix New Times newspaper in print and on the Phoenix New Times website, regarding Sheriff Joe Arpaio from January 1, 2004 to the present.” Every note, tape, and record from every story written about Sheriff Arpaio by every reporter over a period of years.

Then comes this:

Plainclothes Maricopa County Sheriff’s officers arrested New Times founders, Village Voice Media Executive Editor Michael Lacey and Chairman/CEO Jim Larkin at their homes late Thursday evening for revealing grand jury information in their recent story Grand Jury Targets New Times and Its Readers. Both were taken into custody and have yet to be bailed out. Lacey is believed to be in the 4th Ave. Jail. And there are reports that Larkin was taken to a substation in Mesa.

Followed by this:

At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas announced that all charges against New Times, its owners, editors and writers have been dropped — and that special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik has been dismissed.

Said Lacey: “We tried to make a modest stand for our readers, our reporters and our Constitution. Sometimes law enforcement prevails in their view of the constitution, sometimes the Irish prevail in theirs.”