Shelby County Commissioner Terry Roland has submitted a resolution for the Commission ask its attorneys to withdraw the subpoena requesting identities of those who commented on municipal school stories in the Commercial Appeal.
We will have coverage Thursday on digital-stage.wreg.com and News Channel 3. Live coverage starts at 9pm on News Channel 3 Anytime with updates on News Channel 3.
(Memphis) Lily Stice is appalled at a subpoena filed on behalf of the Shelby County Commission, “We live in America,” she said talking about First Amendment rights.
The subpoena is going after the identities of those who have made comments on the Commercial Appeal’s website regarding the fight for municipal schools.
“I’m afraid of what they’re going to use it for,” she said.
According to a Commercial Appeal article, the subpoena requested names, addresses and phone numbers of commenters from 45 different online articles.
Attorneys even wanted the comments that had been deleted from the site for being racially charged
Commissioner Terry Roland is outraged.
He held nothing back when describing the actions of the attorneys hired by the county.
“I thought that Leo Bearman and Lori Patterson were low, but I think they’re just plum evil,” said Roland.
“He’s not the only one upset. Some commenting online at commercialappeal.com are livid they could be “outed” by this subpoena.
One person called it “disgusting” while another says it’s “an attempt to discourage free discussion.”
Roland believes the attorneys are going to use the information to create a circus before Judge Samuel Mays, who will decide the legality of suburban school districts.
“They’re going to hand-pick stuff that sounds racist to say, ‘well, all the suburbs feel like this,’ which is absolutely asinine,” said Roland. “They don’t have a case. They’re building a case. They’ve spent almost a million of your taxpayer dollars and they don’t have a case.”
No one with Baker-Donelson Law firm returned our phone calls Sunday but we did talk to Commissioner Steve Mulroy who pushed for this school lawsuit.
He says the subpoena is being misunderstood. It’s not intended to “out” people but rather to make sure people commenting with racial discrimination are not influencing legislators.
Mulroy says all names would be kept confidential and under no circumstance would a person be called into court to testify.