Woman pleads not guilty in Internet suicide case
Lawyer Blogs
A Missouri woman pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles federal court Monday to charges in an Internet hoax blamed for a 13-year-old girl's suicide. Lori Drew, 49, stood quietly beside her attorney Monday. She pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers without authorization to get information used to inflict emotional distress. She is free on $20,000 bond.
The proceeding lasted only a few minutes. Drew and her lawyer declined to comment to reporters waiting outside the courtroom.
Drew, of suburban St. Louis, Mo., is accused of helping to create a MySpace account that appeared to belong to a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. The boy did not exist.
Drew's daughter had been a friend of 13-year-old neighbor Megan Meier and the fake account was used to send cruel messages to the girl, including one stating the world would be better off without her. Megan hanged herself in 2006.
Drew has denied creating the account or sending messages to Meier.
The charges were filed in California where MySpace is based. MySpace is a subsidiary of Beverly Hills-based Fox Interactive Media Inc., which is owned by News Corp.
Drew's case was assigned to U.S. District Court Judge George Wu and her trial scheduled for July 29. A status conference was scheduled for June 26. U.S. attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said Drew would be allowed to return home pending trial.
Each of the four counts against Drew carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Related listings
-
Court to rule in lawsuit vs. FBI head, ex-AG
Lawyer Blogs 06/16/2008The Supreme Court says it will decide whether former Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller (Mul'-er) must face a lawsuit that claims prisoners detained after Sept. 11 were subject to ethnic and religious discrimination.The la...
-
Top court eases rules for foreigners to try to stay in US
Lawyer Blogs 06/16/2008The Supreme Court has made it easier for some foreigners who overstay their visas to seek to remain in the United States legally.The court ruled 5-4 Monday that someone who is here illegally may withdraw his voluntarily agreement to depart and contin...
-
Supreme Court rejects limits on FOIA lawsuits
Lawyer Blogs 06/13/2008The Supreme Court has rejected limits on Freedom of Information Act lawsuits that seek the same information as earlier legal actions.In a unanimous ruling, the justices said Thursday a lower court was wrong to conclude that a vintage airplane buff co...
Illinois Work Injury Lawyers – Krol, Bongiorno & Given, LTD.
Accidents in the workplace are often caused by unsafe work conditions arising from ignoring safety rules, overlooking maintenance or other negligence of those in management. While we are one of the largest firms in Illinois dedicated solely to the representation of injured workers, we pride ourselves on the personal, one-on-one approach we deliver to each client.
Work accidents can cause serious injuries and sometimes permanent damage. Some extremely serious work injuries can permanently hinder a person’s ability to get around and continue their daily duties. Factors that affect one’s quality of life such as place of work, relationships with friends and family, and social standing can all be taken away quickly by a work injury. Although, you may not be able to recover all of your losses, you may be entitled to compensation as a result of your work injury. Krol, Bongiorno & Given, LTD. provides informed advocacy in all kinds of workers’ compensation claims, including:
• Injuries to the back and neck, including severe spinal cord injuries
• Serious head injuries
• Heart problems resulting from workplace activities
• Injuries to the knees, elbows, shoulders and other joints
• Injuries caused by repetitive movements
For Illinois Workers’ Compensation claims, you will ALWAYS cheat yourself if you do not hire an experienced attorney. When you hire Krol, Bongiorno & Given, Ltd, you will have someone to guide you through the process, and when it is time to settle, we will add value to your case IN EXCESS of our fee. In the last few years, employers and insurance carriers have sought to advance the argument that when you settle a case without an attorney, your already low settlement should be further reduced by 20% so that you do not get a “windfall.” Representing yourself in Illinois is a lose-lose proposition.