Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Yolanda Orozco dismissed Thursday RedState.com managing editor Jennifer Van Laar as a defendant in former Rep. Katie Hill’s lawsuit related to the publication of intimate images of Hill. The decision comes one day after Orozco dismissed the Daily Mail as a defendant.
Citing the First Amendment, Orozco wrote in her ruling about the Daily Mail that images published by the media outlets “were a matter of ‘public issue or public interest’” because they “spoke to Hill’s character and qualifications for her position, as they allegedly depicted (Hill) with a campaign staffer whom she was alleged to have had a sexual affair with and appeared to show (Hill) using a then-illegal drug and displaying a tattoo that was controversial because it resembled a white supremacy symbol that had become an issue during her congressional campaign.”
Hill reacted to the court’s decision on Twitter.
“I sued the Daily Mail for their publication of my nonconsensual nude images,” Hill wrote Wednesday. “Today, we lost in court because a judge — not a jury — thinks revenge porn is free speech. This fight has massive implications for any woman who ever wants to run for office, so quitting isn’t an option.”
Hill continued her argument against Orozco’s ruling on Twitter Thursday morning, writing, “revenge porn — illegally shared images — cannot be considered in the public interest in any circumstance.”
Van Laar also took to Twitter to react to the ruling.
“And that is what this motion was about. A powerful politician abusing the legal system to punish a journalist because she didn’t like what was reported. The lawsuit was an attempt to chill my First Amendment rights,” Van Laar tweeted.
Parties to the case are expected to discuss attorney fees at a court hearing set for May 4.
William S. Hart Union High School District board member Joe Messina was among the defendants listed in the civil case brought by Hill, and court records indicate Hill filed a motion to remove Messina as a defendant in February.
“We want our legal fees back,” said Messina, a talk radio host, who estimated that he’s racked up close to $20,000 in legal fees. “It’s a heck of game they’ve played through the justice system.”
In a separate case, attorneys representing Hill and her ex-husband, Kenneth Heslep, announced in court Thursday a settlement regarding a domestic violence restraining order. Both sides agreed to Heslep’s request to remove a hearing regarding the restraining order and the court dissolved Hill’s temporary restraining order against Heslep.
This story was updated to include a Tweet from Jennifer Van Laar and comments from Joe Messina.
