A Pinal County judge dismissed a lawsuit against New Times, which had been filed over stories on this blog about a member of Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's command staff apparently trying to scrub an arrest record from a DPS database.
PCSO Lieutenant Blake King filed the lawsuit, alleging New Times writer Monica Alonzo was libelous in her reporting of the arrest of Ronald Keys at a spot dubbed "Camp Titties and Beer" inside the Country Thunder musical festival in 2011. Judge Bradley Soos did not agree with King's allegations, and granted a motion to dismiss the case.
See also:
-"Camp Titties and Beer," a Country Thunder Campground Occupied by Tucson Police Officers is Where a DPS Office Was Attacked. Paul Babeu's Office Wanted This Covered Up
"Indeed the 'facts' alleged in the articles are based on the undisputed email sent from the Plaintiff to the County Attorney, the undisputed events leading up to the arrest of the suspect, and the Plaintiff's involvement shortly thereafter," Soos' ruling says.
"Contrary to Plaintiff's assertions, Defendants did not 'take liberties' with the email or 'contort the very context,'" Soos' ruling continues. "Rather, Defendants accurately quoted the email in Plaintiff's own words."
Indeed, Alonzo did accurately quote the email Lieutenant Blake King sent at 11:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, 2011 to Deputy County Attorney Paul Ahler.
"Unfortunately the subject booked for Agg Assault had been finger printed before I could have a chance to get him released," King wrote. "If you can, please attempt to have his DPS record of this cleared."
Alonzo reported that the record was not actually deleted, but it was King's request that was in question.
All of the details can be found in her original piece on the matter, here.
Click here to read the judge's ruling.
