Following the ludicrous cease and desist letter from attorney Richard Coble on behalf of former Tenth Presbyterian pastor Liam Goligher, Anglican Watch has filed an attorney disciplinary complaint against Coble. The basis of the complaint includes computer trespass, which is a criminal and civil offense under relevant state statutes, and possible extortion, as Coble attempted to use threats of criminal charges in order to infringe the First Amendment right of freedom of the press.
We also have directed Coble to have no further contact with any member of this publication, either directly or through others.
Anglican Watch believes that while Coble is a relatively young attorney, he has sufficient experience to understand that First Amendment rights extend to online publications. Moreover, using threats of criminal charges to attempt to induce us to stop publishing about his client is highly inappropriate, even if the PA Attorney Disciplinary Board does not conclude that this reaches the level of extortion. Threatening criminal charges to gain an advantage in a civil matter also is a per se violation of attorney disciplinary rules.
Shades of Episcopal perjuring priest Bob Malm.
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