Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Own goal?

Who generated this story?

A high profile public servant who was found not guilty of assaulting a teenager is furious his name has been released on the internet.

The man was granted permanent name and occupation suppression when the verdict was returned yesterday in the Wellington District Court however his name has already appeared on a website. Details about the case are also suppressed.

The man's lawyer, Mike Antunovic, says procedures are in place to protect the rule of law and orders of the court and he would be surprised if they were not put into effect immediately.


Did it originate with the lawyer, in which case it is surely an own goal. Anybody with rudimentary knowledge of the "internet" knows exactly where to go to find the name.

Or was it a response to a reporter informing the lawyer? In which case what responsibility does the media bear or share in publicising the name? And for that matter, myself I guess, for commenting on it.

5 comments:

pdm said...

Isn't this the person whose name was published in a National Newspaper at the time of the incident. Well before any suppression orders were in place.

Keeping Stock said...

I agree Lindsay - and if the MSM is going to point the finger at the blogosphere, the least they could do is name the perp.

http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2010/05/name-him.html

The Green-eyed Mosnter is at play methinks!

Manolo said...

Antunovic is a moron for defending the indefensible.

baxter said...

The case itself from the little published seemed to be nonsense, a minor disorder offence at most, yet a Jury was engaged for a week at great cost before coming to a logical reasonable conclusion.
I know the defendant, a nice guy of mild temperament. I suspect his Politically Correct Department decided to prosecute him in order to appear holier than thou. I doubt the defendant does believe in our ridiculous covert Justice system.

pdm said...

baxter - my understanding is that it was a family matter involving the removal of money from the mothers purse by a 17 year old and the father exerted some discipline when he caught up with him. Unfortunately this happened in a public place.