In December, a US jury ordered two individuals to pay damages of
$425,000 for defaming their former employer and its executives in
more than 14,000 messages on internet message boards and their own
web site. This week, the individuals learned that they could go to
prison for breaching a court order forbidding further postings.
On Tuesday, Californian Superior Court Judge Jack Komar began
contempt proceedings against research scientists Michelangelo
Delfino and Mary Day, formerly of Varian Medical Systems. According
to Varian’s lawyers, they are continuing to post messages to their
own web site and elsewhere, in breach of the December
injunction.
In the postings which sparked the initial lawsuit they accused
Varian’s executives of, among other things, adultery,
discrimination, homophobia, being a danger to children and
videotaping office bathrooms.
According to legal journal The Recorder, the contempt hearing
will begin in July. If found guilty, Delfino and Day face up to
five days in jail for each act that breaches the injunction.
