Above the Law case voluntarily dismissed

Well that was quick.

Here's ATL on the dismissal:

Pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i)(B), the dismissal is without prejudice. But if Professor Jones were to attempt to refile at this point in time, he would encounter a statute of limitations problem.

There was NO SETTLEMENT in this case. Above the Law has made no changes to our prior posts, and we have paid no money to Professor Jones. The case was dismissed by the plaintiff without anything from our side, except a letter from our lawyer.

Smart move by Professor Jones as the lawsuit appeared frivolous and likely sanctionable. Congrats to ATL.

Above The Law Sued by UM Law Professor Donald Jones

NLJ has the details:

It's the kind of story that tends to get big play on the legal blog Above the Law: A prominent University of Miami School of Law professor and civil rights advocate arrested on suspicion of soliciting an undercover officer for sex.
The blog had plenty of fun with the story in October 2007 with a series of posts about Donald Marvin Jones, whom it dubbed "The Nutty Professor."
The only problem was that it didn't happen that way, and the blog's coverage veered into racism, according to a lawsuit Jones has filed in federal court. He alleged that Above the Law portrayed him in a false light, invaded his privacy and infringed the university's copyright on his faculty photo. Jones seeks $22 million in damages.
An online article about the arrest by David Lat, Above the Law's managing editor, "instigated its readers not only to read the post but also to join in what was clearly a viciously racist series of rants" directed at the African-American professor, the suit claims.
Jones did not respond Monday to calls for comment on the lawsuit, which he filed pro se in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Oct. 27. The suit names Lat, Above the Law publisher David Minkin and parent company Dead Horse Media Inc., now called Breaking Media LLC, as defendants. Lat also declined comment on the suit.

Judge Cooke pulled the case. Here's the complaint.

UM law student turned Playboy model

Here we are covering the Jose Padilla trial and we missed this: University of Miami Law student Oona O'Connell is a model and actress, having posed for Playboy. AboveTheLaw blogger David Lat has all the details, pictures, and correspondence.

She tells Lat how she got into modeling:

"I started modeling to pay the exorbitant fees charged by UM Law, but I ended up graduating early to model full time because I love it. Playboy was one of my first modeling jobs ever, and while I have moved away from the whole glamour/sexy thing into much more commercial and fashion fields, I still am very proud to have been a part of the Playboy family."

Wanna read and see more? Check out Lat & Oona here.

More blog news

The Judge Highsmith story (controversy?) has made national blog news here at Above The Law, the fun and witty legal tabloid blog.

We had the pleasure of meeting the blog's author, David Lat, during his stay in Miami. He's a very engaging guy. It's no wonder his blogs have been so popular.