Nancy Grace Suicide Lawsuit Can Proceed

[Blue Belle]

Judge: Nancy Grace Suicide Lawsuit Can Proceed
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/01/judge-nancy-grace-suicide_n_116359.html

<SNIP>OCALA, Fla. — A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit that claims CNN's Nancy Grace pushed the mother of a missing toddler to suicide through aggressive questioning.

CNN and Grace argued the wrongful death lawsuit brought by Melinda Duckett's family would "severely chill" journalists' coverage of missing-persons cases. But U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges on Thursday denied their motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Duckett, 21, was on Grace's show after her son Trenton went missing from her apartment in August 2006. Grace grilled the woman, accusing her of hiding something because Duckett did not take a lie-detector test and answered vaguely regarding her whereabouts.

Duckett fatally shot herself before the network aired the pre-taped interview.

The family claims Grace's intense questioning caused severe emotional distress that led to the suicide. The lawsuit also claims that the decision to air the interview after her suicide caused the family to suffer severe emotional distress and media and public harassment. They are seeking a jury trial, unspecified damages more than $15,000 and punitive damages.

Duckett family attorney Jay Paul Deratany said attorneys will begin taking testimony.

"There is more information out there to be gleaned," said Deratany. "If Melinda had any information, Nancy Grace stopped the investigation in its track."

Police have said Duckett is the only suspect in her son's disappearance.

[depakid]

1. I hope disGrace gets taken for big money

I hope punative damages were alleged, because they might not be covered by her insurance.

[SoCalDem]

2. GOOD!! Words MATTER

and people with a camera & microphone & airtime , DO have a responsibility for what they say and air.. It may be their right to DO it, but it's also their responsibility to answer for their actions..

[guajira]

3. This Case Should be Thrown Out

I don't watch the Nancy Grace Show, but I do believe she is being taken on this one!

The report I read about this case (which occurred a couple of miles from my house) was that the police did not want to hold the mother, but let her wander loose so that she might lead them to the baby. Seems to me they should have been the ones questioning the mother, also giving her a lie detector test. Nancy Grace should not be held responsible for a bungled investigation!

[marshall]

4. Just because it proceeds doesn't mean they will win

The woman was already teetering on the edge of insanity. Just because Grace asked her a few tough questions that doesn't mean she's responsible for the woman killing herself.

[rhett o rick]

14. You are right, she should only be held responsible for being a bitch that thinks she knows everythin

to the point that she destroyed someone's life for a tv show. She is Satan, she has no soul.

[nomorenomore08]

5. That woman (Ms. Grace) really scares me. Bet you anything she was a bully back in school.

While I don't think she's as reprehensible a human being as say, Pat Buchanan, I have just as difficult a time watching and listening to her. Behaving that way toward an apparently distraught mother, police suspect or not, is just inexcusable.

[npk]

6. This lawsuit is Bullshit

How can you know the mental state of this woman that led her to kill herself was a result of the great and powerful Nancy Grace and not because of the disappearance of her son.

The woman was clearly already emotional over her son's disappearance and any good lawyer would argue that it is impossible to determine her mental state and thought process before she killed herself.

[nomorenomore08]

9. I didn't say Grace was actually responsible for the death.

I just expressed an opinion that she's always creeped me out, and that the fact that this happened doesn't really surprise me.

[rhett o rick]

15. If that is the case then it will all be straightened out in court won't it. Nancy won her fame for

never loosing a case. She was so good. I just hope she didn't let her vindictiveness get in the way of justice.

[devilgrrl]

7. It would severely chill the court of public opinion.

eom

[Hugabear]

8. Nancy Grace is the absolute worst

Fuck the legal system. We have CNN's Nancy Grace to serve as investigator, jury, judge, and executioner!

[donco6]

10. Remember the Boston Legal episode . . .

. . . where the N. Grace clone gets clobbered on the back of the head by the crazy guy with a shovel?

I thought that was really, really funny.

Not that I would ever want it to happen. Nope. Not me.

[Blue Belle]

11. I thought of that episode too...

Then wondered about the chances of life imitating art in that scenereo...

[Toucano]

12. Foolish lawsuit.

It's going to be hard to prove that Grace's interview caused the suicide when the child has not been found and the mother is the best suspect.

The defense will just say she killed herself because (1) her child had disappeared and (2) she likely was responsible for the disappearance.


Suing Grace for polluting America by existing stands a better chance.

[Vinnie From Indy]

13. Nancy "Flaming Nostrils of Justice" Grace

I am so glad I gave up cable!

[rhett o rick]

16. To me she epitomizes the narrow minded vindictiveness of the right wing wacko

's. Justice is secondary to revenge. Someone must pay for the crime as quickly as possible. If it turns out to be the wrong person, oh well.