Judge Orders Paper to Reveal Online Poster's Name

A Philadelphia judge has ordered the owner of philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News to reveal the name of a person who posted a comment online.

The Inquirer reports that the ruling came in a defamation suit filed by John Dougherty, the head of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union.

Dougherty sued the anonymous poster over a comment on a Daily News blog. His lawyers subpoenaed the parent company of philly.com to supply the person's identity.

Common Pleas Court Judge Jacqueline Allen ordered Philadelphia Media Network to turn over the name.

The lawyer for the individual who posted the comment had argued in court filings that his client's comments were protected by the First Amendment.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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