This story is just unbelievable. A libel lawsuit against Dennis Fritz, author of Journey Toward Justice and author, John Grisham headed to court of appeals. An Oklahoma federal judge's dismissal of a libel lawsuit against:
• John Grisham, author of “The Innocent Man.”
• Robert Mayer, author of “The Dreams of Ada.”
• Dennis Fritz, the author of “Journey Toward Justice.”
• Barry Scheck, one of Fritz’s lawyers who helped exonerate him, and a co-author of “Actual Innocence,” that discusses the case of Williamson and Fritz.
• The Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, publisher of “The Innocent Man” and “Actual Innocence.”
• Random House Inc., which owns Doubleday Dell.
•Broadway Books, publisher of “The Dreams of Ada.
• Seven Locks Press and/or James C. Riordan, publisher of “Journey Toward Justice”, is on its way to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Read More: click here >DA Bill Peterson Suing The Innocent Man Dennis Fritz For Emotional Distress Oct.2007
MORE Case Dismissed Sept.18,2008 click here
Showing posts with label the innocent man lawsuit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the innocent man lawsuit. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
CASE DISMISSED Grisham - Fritz - Mayer - Scheck Lawsuit
--CASE DISMISSED--September 17, 2008
United States District Court Eastern District of Oklahoma -
In September, 2007, William N. Peterson, the District Attorney in Ada, Oklahoma, filed a complaint for civil conspiracy, libel, publicity placing a person in false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The complaint was a result of the depiction of Prosecutor Peterson in the following books:
- The Innocent Man by John Grisham -- Doubleday Publishing
- Journey Toward Justice by Dennis Fritz -- Seven Locks Press
- Dreams of Ada by Robert Mayer - Broadway Books
The defendants named were:
John Grisham - Doubleday Publishing
Dennis Fritz - Seven Locks Press
Robert Mayer - Broadway Books
Barry Scheck - Random House
James C. Riordan
On September 17, 2008, Ronald A. White, United States District Judge, Eastern District of Oklahoma GRANTED the defendants motion to dismiss.
Judge White in his opinion stated:
"The conduct complained of here is not extreme and outrageous for two reasons:
(1) the statements are not defamatory because they are constitutionally and statutorily protected and;
(2) the alleged conduct is not atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized society.
Therefore it is not plausible that these statements about public officials concerning matters of public concern even comes close to extreme and outrageous conduct."
This is Great News !!
UPDATE - Oct. 2008
This story is just unbelievable. A libel lawsuit against Dennis Fritz, author of Journey Toward Justice and author, John Grisham headed to court of appeals.
Read More HERE
Monday, October 8, 2007
John Grisham "The Appeal" Legal Thriller
Grisham's next legal thriller has been titled as "The Appeal"
John Grisham’s upcoming 384-page legal thriller that will be released for sale on January 29, 2008, has been titled as “The Appeal.”
In an interview to Des Moines Register, Grisham said the fictional book, set in Mississippi, will focus on the election of state Supreme Court judges.
“It’s a real political hotbed issue right now,” he said. “And these races have become just rotten with special-interest groups, cash and judges taking huge campaign donations from lawyers and parties with cases pending before the court.”
“It’s turned into a terrible system, and I hope to bring some attention to that issue.”
Source: Random House, Des Moines Register
Looks like 2008 will be THE year full of legal thrillers for John Grisham, with "The Innocent Man" lawsuit, and his new book "The Appeal."
For those who do not know John Grisham has been named in a libel lawsuit filed over his nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man". The book is about the 1982 murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma.
At the center of the lawsuit is an Oklahoma prosecutor by the name of William N. Peterson. He got murder convictions on two men, Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson, who did 12 years in prison before they were cleared by DNA evidence. Fritz and Williamson's experiences are chronicled in two books, John Grisham's first nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man," and Fritz's, "Journey Toward Justice".
Bill Peterson got questionable convictions on two other men, Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, in a separate murder case. They are still in prison.
Robert Mayer, is the author of “The Dreams of Ada.” A book written primary about the murder of Denice Haraway and the subsequent investigation, prosecution and conviction of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot.
The other Plaintiff is Gary Rogers, a former agent for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Bill Peterson and Gary Rogers were instrumental in the conviction of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz in the murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma in 1982.
The lawsuit also names:
•Dennis Fritz, the author of “Journey Toward Justice.”
•Robert Mayer, author of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Barry Scheck, one of Fritz’s lawyers who helped exonerate him, and a co-author of “Actual Innocence,” that discusses the case of Williamson and Fritz.
•The Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, publisher of “The Innocent Man” and “Actual Innocence.”
•Random House Inc., which owns Doubleday Dell.
•Broadway Books, publisher of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Seven Locks Press and/or James C. Riordan, publisher of “Journey Toward Justice.”
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges civil conspiracy, libel, placing a person in a false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Peterson says the defendants "coordinated their efforts to launch a massive joint defamatory attack" on him and the detective.
"There's no merit," to the suit, James C. Riordan says. The reason his book published two days before Grisham's was competitive.
Comment from Dennis Fritz, author of "Journey Toward Justice".
“The problem is that Mr. Peterson convicted two innocent men, sent Ronnie and I to the penitentiary for 12 years, based upon alleged evidence that did not go beyond a reasonable doubt." Fritz said the lawsuit is merely a power play by Peterson “to regain what he has lost because of his actions, or mis-actions.”
“He cannot handle the truth that’s been brought out in both Mr. Grisham’s book as well as mine. Dennis Fritz said every word in his book is true as he remembered the events of that time.
“Factually, it’s backed up exactly by every word out of the transcript,” he said. Fritz said that Peterson achieved their convictions through “several huge mistakes, worse than mistakes, travesties of justice.”
I will have updates on my blog, Barbara's Journey Toward Justice here
UPDATE - OCT. 2008
Dennis Fritz, "The Innocent Man" and John Grisham's Real Life, "Appeal" This story is just unbelievable. A libel lawsuit against Dennis Fritz, author of Journey Toward Justice and author, John Grisham headed to court of appeals. Click here for more on story
John Grisham’s upcoming 384-page legal thriller that will be released for sale on January 29, 2008, has been titled as “The Appeal.”
In an interview to Des Moines Register, Grisham said the fictional book, set in Mississippi, will focus on the election of state Supreme Court judges.
“It’s a real political hotbed issue right now,” he said. “And these races have become just rotten with special-interest groups, cash and judges taking huge campaign donations from lawyers and parties with cases pending before the court.”
“It’s turned into a terrible system, and I hope to bring some attention to that issue.”
Source: Random House, Des Moines Register
Looks like 2008 will be THE year full of legal thrillers for John Grisham, with "The Innocent Man" lawsuit, and his new book "The Appeal."
For those who do not know John Grisham has been named in a libel lawsuit filed over his nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man". The book is about the 1982 murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma.
At the center of the lawsuit is an Oklahoma prosecutor by the name of William N. Peterson. He got murder convictions on two men, Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson, who did 12 years in prison before they were cleared by DNA evidence. Fritz and Williamson's experiences are chronicled in two books, John Grisham's first nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man," and Fritz's, "Journey Toward Justice".
Bill Peterson got questionable convictions on two other men, Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, in a separate murder case. They are still in prison.
Robert Mayer, is the author of “The Dreams of Ada.” A book written primary about the murder of Denice Haraway and the subsequent investigation, prosecution and conviction of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot.
The other Plaintiff is Gary Rogers, a former agent for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Bill Peterson and Gary Rogers were instrumental in the conviction of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz in the murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma in 1982.
The lawsuit also names:
•Dennis Fritz, the author of “Journey Toward Justice.”
•Robert Mayer, author of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Barry Scheck, one of Fritz’s lawyers who helped exonerate him, and a co-author of “Actual Innocence,” that discusses the case of Williamson and Fritz.
•The Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, publisher of “The Innocent Man” and “Actual Innocence.”
•Random House Inc., which owns Doubleday Dell.
•Broadway Books, publisher of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Seven Locks Press and/or James C. Riordan, publisher of “Journey Toward Justice.”
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges civil conspiracy, libel, placing a person in a false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Peterson says the defendants "coordinated their efforts to launch a massive joint defamatory attack" on him and the detective.
"There's no merit," to the suit, James C. Riordan says. The reason his book published two days before Grisham's was competitive.
Comment from Dennis Fritz, author of "Journey Toward Justice".
“The problem is that Mr. Peterson convicted two innocent men, sent Ronnie and I to the penitentiary for 12 years, based upon alleged evidence that did not go beyond a reasonable doubt." Fritz said the lawsuit is merely a power play by Peterson “to regain what he has lost because of his actions, or mis-actions.”
“He cannot handle the truth that’s been brought out in both Mr. Grisham’s book as well as mine. Dennis Fritz said every word in his book is true as he remembered the events of that time.
“Factually, it’s backed up exactly by every word out of the transcript,” he said. Fritz said that Peterson achieved their convictions through “several huge mistakes, worse than mistakes, travesties of justice.”
I will have updates on my blog, Barbara's Journey Toward Justice here
UPDATE - OCT. 2008
Dennis Fritz, "The Innocent Man" and John Grisham's Real Life, "Appeal" This story is just unbelievable. A libel lawsuit against Dennis Fritz, author of Journey Toward Justice and author, John Grisham headed to court of appeals. Click here for more on story
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