WM3: Dixie Chick Sued Over Blog Comments
Friday December 5, 2008
Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks is facing a lawsuit filed by Terry Hobbs, who was the stepfather of murder victim Stevie Branch. Hobbs' suit claims that statements Maines made about Hobbs on her blog led to "loss of income, injury to his reputation and emotional distress."
In early 2007, new DNA evidence indicated that a hair found in the shoelaces used to tie the three murdered boys belonged to Hobbs. At that time, his ex-wife Pam Hobbs, said she thought it was "possible" that Terry Hobbs could have committed the crimes, but also admitted it was hard for to be objective because she was going on her "thoughts and feelings." Pam Hobbs did say that she no longer believes Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelly killed her son.
In December 2007, Natalie Maines joined in the growing list of celebrities who have supported a new trial for the West Memphis Three, and blogged about Terry Hobbs in detail. Hobbs says he's suing to clear his name, and says, "I want people to know I haven't done nothing wrong... I want them to hear it from me."
Interestingly, for many years there was a cloud of suspicion over John Mark Byers, who now says he believes the wrong men are in jail for the 1993 murders. Mark Byers was the father of victim Christopher Byers.
In December 2007, Natalie Maines joined in the growing list of celebrities who have supported a new trial for the West Memphis Three, and blogged about Terry Hobbs in detail. Hobbs says he's suing to clear his name, and says, "I want people to know I haven't done nothing wrong... I want them to hear it from me."
Interestingly, for many years there was a cloud of suspicion over John Mark Byers, who now says he believes the wrong men are in jail for the 1993 murders. Mark Byers was the father of victim Christopher Byers.
Comments
It took me a little while to make the Wicca connection here (the prosecuted teens were of the Occult).
I don’t agree with the way Maines approached it. Yes, it’s good to get behind causes you believe in, but she tries to make it sound like she knows something about Law, which she clearly doesn’t (watching a couple seasons of Law and Order, and CSI doesn’t make you a professional). Accusations are something to be taken seriously, especially by those in influential roles, like celebrities.
I don’t know if they boys are guilty, or the step father, but I don’t agree with Maines’ approach, nor this frivolous lawsuit against her.
I’ve followed the WM3 fiasco for a few years now, and it’s glaringly obvious that the men in prison (That’s PRISON, folks, not JAIL) were not the perpetrators of the crimes. I read about Hobbs’ hair in the shoelaces as well, but didn’t blog about it. And being realistic, even if I had, only my 4 or 5 regular readers would have seen it.
Ms. Maines, while entitled to the same free-speech as myself and every other citizen, is (or should be) aware that when a high-profile personality says things (Remember her near career-destroying comments in Germany circa 2003?) that are controversial, there almost always is a fallout of some sort.
I don’t believe she should be censored, not by any means. But a bit of self-control might be in order. While I agree that Mr. Hobbs’ hair being found where it was is suspect, I don’t think she should have pronounced him guilty. That said, I don’t think that Mr. Hobbs’ lawsuit should make it past the court clerk’s desk.
I have had a good deal of exposure to the case both through interest and my criminal justice courses and I have to say that a lot of the mannerisms during the trial and such really do make Hobbs look like a guilty individual. Unfortunately most of the evidence is so tainted that the crime may well be unsolvable today. Who knows, forensics has come a long way since then so maybe they can figure out who the real killer was.