On to the appeals court: the libel-suit saga involving the Boston Herald and Judge Ernest Murphy continues, as the trial judge, Charles Johnson, has refused the Herald’s requests to act in response to Murphy’s over-the-top letters to Herald publisher Pat Purcell. Phoenix coverage here; Globe coverage here; Herald coverage here.
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It’s beginning to look like the Herald is toast on this one. I hope I’m wrong. If there was ever a town with plenty of muck to rake, it’s Boston. The publication of the hand-written letters and Murphy’s reaction reminded me of North Dallas 40. “Are you going to believe me, or those lying eyes of yours?”
Meanwhile, the very, very ethical Herald is still running a Murphy Letters box on its Web site repeating the first-day story that it asked the judge to “toss” the lawsuit. No update, even though the month-old story is out of date. Clearly the Herald motion to vacate was absurd and just as clearly Murphy had the right to demand security for his jury award. Newspaper stories just aren’t enough proof that a seven-figure verdict will be paid — so the Herald will have to actually make a court filing about its claim to have insurance coverage — if it truly exists. The spin after the Herald’s very predictible loss and Murphy’s very predictible win at hearing this week is one of Regan’s most ridiculous ever — the judge ruled against the Herald because he wanted the issues decided by an appeals court? That’s nonsense; if he thought the issues were to be determined by an appeals court he could have reported the case to the higher court. He didn’t. He ruled against the Herald; its self-executed publicity stunt transformed into a sideshow. It is absolutely amazing how people swallow the Doomed Daily’s spin without gagging and allow it’s ethical lapses to go ignored.