I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. Chris Monzel is running for re-election to city council. He uses a picture of Rip Torn from his arrest last year as a photo for a child molester. Can't he be sued for Defamation? I know Torn's people don't know about this and I wouldn't have a clue how they could find out but isn't that Defamation?
"Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another."
This is almost a year after your post, but it looks like Chris Monzel actually won after that sleazy campaign tactic. Was he actually saying that Rip Torn was a child molester?
Regarding whether he could be sued for defamation, I'd say absolutely! Of course, Rip has had a rough couple of years, and his plate was full battling the drunken driving charges.
I guess Rip should get Judge Judys sons to fight that charge against his him too!
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rain drops on my heart are tears drops you left behind....
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/2008/06/ca-rip-torn-gets-apology -over-sex.html
Typical political grandstanding. Using sex offenders as their scapegoat to get elected, and someone who isn't even a sex offender, thus breaking the law by using someones photo without their permission. This man should be fired!!
06/12/2008
Councilman Used Torn's Mug Shot To Portray Generic Criminal
CINCINNATI -- A Cincinnati city councilman has publicly apologized to Rip Torn for using his mug shot in a campaign ad on crime.
Christopher Monzel (Email) said that a black bar covered Torn's eyes in the television ad. The photo, which was available on Internet sites, came from Torn's 2006 drunken-driving arrest in New York State.
Monzel said the ad was meant to show a generic criminal and discuss his efforts to "get sexual predators off the streets" -- and wasn't meant to have anything to do with Torn.
- There is no such thing as a generic criminal! Why didn't you use your own face with your eyes blocked out?
But when someone was able to identify Torn as the person in the ad, the "Men in Black" and "Dodgeball" actor was notified and the ad was pulled.
Torn demanded an apology for the mistake, so on Tuesday, Monzel placed an ad in The Cincinnati Enquirer. He detailed where the commercial ad was shown, and described Torn as an award-winning actor who had served honorably in the Army.
"That commercial discussed, in part, my efforts to get sexual predators off the streets," Monzel said in the printed apology. "Purely as a result of an error by my campaign, an unauthorized altered image of Mr. Torn was inadvertently shown during that commercial. I never intended to imply any improper or illegal conduct by Mr. Torn."
Monzel said the wording was negotiated over months and he takes full responsibility.
Give Veterans the Colbert Bump!!!
Sign the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America petition.
http://www2.iava.org/o/436/t/8492/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=2023
wow thanx for the info. you quote near the bottom was really informative!
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¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´*Princess*
You're welcome.
Now I just got to figure out how convince everyone to make it their signature.
Copy and paste-
[red]Give Veterans the Colbert Bump!!!
Sign the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America petition.[/red]
http://www2.iava.org/o/436/t/8492/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=2023
and you create
Give Veterans the Colbert Bump!!!
Sign the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America petition.
http://www2.iava.org/o/436/t/8492/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=2023
Ohhhhh. i meant the paragraph about apologizing and setting it straight bout rip. sorry - shudda been more specific.. hehe.
*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´*Princess*
It was certainly a sleazy tactic, but there's another party that deserves blame for getting this guy into office: the electorate. I know nothing about this campaign other than the Rip Torn tidbit, but that tactic (preying on voter's fear of predators, regardless of whether he used a celebrity's mug shot misleadingly) would be enough to sway my vote from him were I a Cincinnatian. Of course, perhaps his opponent was even worse.
You want the obvious? You'll get the obvious. And Cincinnati elected it.