This court decision just seems wrong to me in so many ways. The Court order for me to turn my laptop and cellphone over to a disgruntled Hartford Police Lieutenant just does not seem like America.
Let me just start by saying that at no time did Hartford Police Lieutenant Vincent Benvenuto ever attempt to contact me to ask that I remove something that he found offensive or questionable. I have done that several times in the past when someone would call me and say that they thought a comment was unfair or baseless.
It also seems a huge invasion that someone can tramp through my personal devices to settle a vendetta or for whatever reason he wants to find out the identities of commentors. For example , both devices have medical in formation, banking information and other personal data.
Event though Google told the plaintiff that the information they are looking for is not available and even their expert testified that it may not be available, the judge still issued his order. It almost feels like Benvenuto has gained access to my home and allowed tgo paw through my desk and file cabinet on his search to soothe his hurt feelings
There was never any mention of anything threatening or criminal in nature in the comments, it was the personal feelings of the commentor's, nothing more.
It was also obvious that the HPD command staff did not look favorably on the blog , and on more that one occasion voiced their displeasure with having their dirty laundry aired on the blog. It also seems a little odd to me that a Police Lieutenant would kick up the money to hire an attorney and file a lawsuit over hurt feelings. Who is funding this suit? Was it a coincidence that Benvenuto was moved into on e of the "gravy" positions at HPD as the Commander of the Intelligence Division immediately after the suit was filed? Was the position a reward from the Command Staff for trying to silence the blog? We will probably never know .
That move did not last long. Benvenuto was moved back to the Patrol Division shortly after he filed yet another lawsuit against HPD Chief Thody and Mayor Bronin. The reason you might ask? Benvenuto's fellings were hurt on ce again when Thody refused to give Benvenuto a take home car for his daily commute to his home in Brewster, NewYork.
An appeal is not cheap, but I think I owe it to m y sources and the commentor's who have placed their trust in me and this blog. Any help in funding that would be greatly appreciated. This ruling will set a dangerous precedent for media outlets, social media users and journalists and can be wide reaching.
Thank you in advance
Go Fund Me link here-GO FUND ME or you can search under my name , Kevin Brookman, at gofundme.com. All donations are anonymous.You can also use venmo.com and follow the link here to make a donation.
You can view the entire case and filings herehttp://civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/CaseDetail/PublicCaseDetail.aspx?DocketNo=HHDCV196119733S
Link to Judge Noble's decision-http://civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/DocumentInquiry/DocumentInquiry.aspx?DocumentNo=21296387
6 comments:
It seems like this all could be avoided if you did not allow people to comment anonymously? I've heard the argument that the administration would discipline an officer if they posted on the "blog" Any discipline would be taken care of at the Labor Board, if it ever made it that far. I've know Lt. Benvenuto for many years, he (and most other people) would have far more respect for the commenters if they had the decency to speak directly to him, as opposed to behind his back. You question "whos funding him" That's cute, you want to know where his money is coming from and others, wish to know who your sources are. Maybe if you provided your sources, he'd provide his backers?
Punk A#@ cop! I wish the way Hpd talks to the public could be documented more!
Not sure how tech savvy you are, but your site uses Blogger. None of info they want is likely to be on your personal devices. It resides only in Blogger's databases elsewhere, or in mail accounts on the web.
Immediately AFTER you turn over your personal device, to prevent them from hacking into anything, change your password for the block, any personal emails you might have on the web (GMail, Yahoo, etc.) and any social media accounts.
Also create a new account to manage the Blogger site and un-authorize any admin privileges for any former admin logons.
Don't to anything that could be construed as destruction of evidence, but do make it impossible for them to hack into the Blogger site or your social media / email / etc. accounts.
Remove to federal court. Connecticut judges work for the dark side, this is a First Amendment violation along with Fourth Amendment. If the police hold cause to obtain ip addresses that hit the blog, they can apply for a search warrant to google, which will end up in federal court as there in criminal conduct. Hartford inbred a-holes at their finest. Something is wrong with blogger's counsel.
Martin Miller
Kind of ironic how someone who has a phony profile on Facebook and posts on Facebook and on the Courant's Facebook page under that phony profile has the nerve to criticize my Anonymous commenters or should I address you as Rellim Reeb
Welcome to 1984 Brookman. I remember when Connecticut used to be a free state. Are they still printing tags with the phrase "Constitution State" or have the powers that be changed that to the more appropriate "Communist State" Corrupt state officials, Legislators, Judges, politicians and some (not all) corrupt cops will conspire to crush freedoms that were supposed to be protected by the Constitution. They have all taken an oath but work hard every day to destroy our God given rights. They use the Constitution for toilet paper.
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