Former ACORN Worker Can Sue Right-Winger on Privacy Claim

[douglas9]

SAN DIEGO (CN) - A federal judge refused to throw out claims that a right-wing activist violated the privacy of an ACORN worker who was taped counseling defendant James O'Keefe, who sought advice on how to fill his house with underage prostitutes.
Juan Carlos Vera sued O'Keefe and his associate Hanna Giles in Federal Court on privacy claims, after O'Keefe secretly filmed Vera at an ACORN office in National City in 2009.
The now-famous series of ACORN recordings featured O'Keefe posing as pimp, dressed in a chinchilla coat, while Giles was disguised as a prostitute.
"The edited video depicted plaintiff as conspiring to promote an underage prostitution business by agreeing to help defendants file fraudulent tax forms and smuggle underage girls from Mexico," U.S. District Judge M. James Lorenz wrote in his order denying defendants' request for summary judgment.
Vera, who said he contacted police shortly after the activists' peculiar visit, sued them in the summer of 2010.
O'Keefe sought summary judgment, claiming that Vera had no expectation of privacy when the conversation was taped.
But Judge Lorenz found a "genuine dispute as to whether plaintiff's [Vera's] expectation of privacy was reasonable."

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/08/14/49281.htm

[rfranklin]

1. I hope they take your parents' home O'Keefe and your basement lair with it...

You ugly dickwad.

[Gothmog]

2. O'Keefe does not want this case to get to a jury

This man is pure scum and would not be appealing to a jury

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Finally a judge has some balls

to smove these cases. The DLC has been trying to kill any suites by all these hard working people. Notice how long it has been since we have heard anything in regards these suites. Corporatist's are finally getting their due.

[mzmolly]

4. Good news. I hope Mr. Vera prevails.

It's a shame Vera can't pursue defamation as well, given the heavily edited, misleading context of the videos.