Natalie Maines, Fellow Dixie Chicks Courted for Libel
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Natalie Finn – Fri Dec 5, 11:09 am ET

E! Online – Natalie Maines, Fellow Dixie Chicks Courted for Libel(E! Online)
Los Angeles (E! Online) – Another Dixie Chicks cause, another angry reaction.
A man whose 8-year-old stepson was killed in 1993 has sued all three members of the country-pop group for defamation, singling out frontwoman Natalie Maines for her comments suggesting he played a role in the boy's death.
Maines, whose outspokenness has won her lifelong friends and mortal enemies alike, appeared last December at a rally in Little Rock, Ark., for the three men, tagged the "West Memphis Three" by their supporters, who were convicted as teenagers of killing the plaintiff's stepson, Steve Branch, and two other 8-year-old boys.
According to the six-page complaint filed Nov. 25 in Pulaski County Circuit Court, the "Not Ready to Make Nice" singer told the crowd that new DNA evidence from the crime scene implicated Steve's stepdad, Terry Hobbs, and that Hobbs' behavior following the boys' deaths was suspect.
Her comments resemble those written in a letter about the case posted on the Dixie Chicks' website and obtained by various media outlets, including People, the Huffington Post, FreeRepublic.com and ABC News.
Maines' statements were "so extreme in degree as to be beyond the pale of decency and to be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in civilized society," Hobbs' lawsuit states, per the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
"Defendant's repeated libelous publications concerning the involvement of the plaintiff in the murders of Steve Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore were not based on fact and, in fact, were false and reckless at the time of publication."
Hobbs is alleging defamation, libel, intentional infliction of emotional distress by outrageous conduct and false-light invasion of privacy. He is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, claiming the Chicks caused him embarrassment, humiliation, "severe" psychological and emotional trauma, loss of income and injury to his reputation.
"I want people to know I haven't done nothing wrong," Hobbs told the Democrat-Gazette in February. "I want them to hear it from me."
"It shames you, something like this. That's the biggest thing I've had to deal with—shame."
A publicist for the Dixie Chicks didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
In September, a Craighead County Circuit Court judge denied new trials for two of the three convicted men, ruling that the new forensic evidence didn't provide "reasonable probability" that the pair were innocent.
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I wonder what made her chose this cause?

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Who knows?

The defamation law suit may sort it all out. But more likely it will be settled out of court and a perfunctory statement will be issued declaring every body to be sorry that they were misunderstood.

IMHO she should have kept quiet....but you don't know what she has seen. Perhaps you would be persuaded also to take a stand if you were a person who folks would listen to when you issued a statement for the press.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

waiting for JD or Benz-LGB to chime in....

__________________
"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

TO HOLLYWOOD, NASHVILLE, and all other STAR HANGOUTS:

SHUT UP AND SING!

NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR YOUR OPINIONS AND HAVING A GOLD RECORD DOES NOT MAKE YOU A POLITICAL PUNDIT

In Natalie's case maybe another round of canceled tour dates and sponsors dropping her is in order.

__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

I try never to put libels on other people . . . .

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Being virtually unknown, I feel free to spout off my opinions all the time. I feel uniquely qualified in that respect to pass judgement on most things . . . .

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I'm sorry but Natalie Maines is a complete bee-otch...

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Why is Natalie Maines, or Tom Selleck's opinion any less valid than George Will or Pat Buchanans? If you do not like their opinion then change the channel or do not purchase their stuff. I do not watch any Tom Cruse or Mel Gibson stuff any more.

I fail to understand why they should not voice their opinions just like anyone else.

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

I think maybe it's because so many celebrities sound like airheads.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I'm thinking of people like Tom Cruise, for instance . . . .

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

EVERYONE is certainly entitled to their opinion. It's just the delivery of the opinion that stinks... There's only a certain degree of passion that someone can display before they start looking like an idiot.

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

The difference between Natalie or Tom and myself is that they get their opinions published like it is the gospel. I do not. The difference between them and George Will is that George Will actually has something to say. Notice I did not say that for Pat Bigmouth. Free speech is a great thing, but who wants to elevate these people to the role of public conscience or public spokesman.

It all reminds me of the scene in "TEAM AMERICA" where Janine Garafalo
says" We have to read the NY Times and spout the opinins as if they are our own"

Left, Right, or Center, what the people who made them famous made them famous for is their talent, not their political agenda.

Wayne Newton was right when he cancelled Linda Ronstadt's concerts at his place in Las Vegas after she shot off her mouth (and the audience walked out)

__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

Th paraphrase Husky,they are simply entertainers,not oracles of socio-political brilliance.

But then most so-called pundits are just about on par with successful lounge acts.

__________________

I think we need a balanced opinion for each publicly expressed opinion in the media. I propose a federal law, since opinions cross state lines. It will need an enforcement section to monitor the media and provide balanced speakers.

B