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'DontDateHim' Lawyer Back in Court
Scorned by one court, Pittsburgh lawyer Todd Hollis is trying another in his quest for redemption (and damages) against the date-rate site Don'tDateHimGirl.com. We first told you about Hollis in June 2006, as he prepared to file suit in Pennsylvania against the Florida-based Web site. Hollis claimed he was defamed by unflattering posts to the site from three women who criticized his sexual health, his fidelity and his appearance. He filed the suit soon after, but the Pennsylvania court dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction.
Last week, Hollis was back in court, this time in federal court in Miami, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 39-year-old lawyer is asking for $75,000 in damages and says he only wants to clear his name. In response to the suit, the dating site's owner, Tasha Cunningham, issued a statement asserting that she is "fully protected by the Communication Decency Act" and that the lawsuit "will be dealt with strongly, swiftly and in a manner which will seek to end this type of erroneous, wasteful litigation."
Clearly, the CDA presents a high hurdle for Hollis. According to the news report, Hollis believes he may be able to get over it on the grounds that the site created headlines and additional material for the postings about him. Nevertheless, he is representing himself in the case because he was unable to find a Florida lawyer willing to take it on. Let's hope he doesn't prove the truth of that old axiom about a lawyer who represents himself.
Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi on December 5, 2007 at 03:53 PM | Permalink
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