Friends,
On Thursday, I filed a motion in federal district court requesting an injunction against a proposed order of the Alexandria Circuit Court in my lawsuit against Episcopal priest Bob Malm. The move follows the court’s decision to impose confidentiality in the lawsuit now under way against Bob Malm.
Why is confidentiality a problem?
Simply put, it’s illegal.
And it’s unnecessary.
The First Amendment in many ways is the court of law resort. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the court of public opinion depends on the free exchange of ideas and information. That process allows people to form their own opinions, including about Bob Malm’s conduct, that of the Episcopal Church, and about my conflict with Bob generally. The First Amendment protects that right, and that free exchange of ideas is essential to our system of democracy.
It’s also not necessary. Imposing a gag order under Virginia law requires a showing of some important reason, like serious embarrassment or privacy issues. We’re not talking ordinary embarrassment, like saying something dumb in court. Instead, we’re talking about details of someone’s marriage, their mental health, their personal finances, things like that.
In this case, Bob Malm’s attorney lied to the court, telling the judge that I have posted about Bob in the past under the names of siblings. The truth is I only had one brother, Brian, who died in an accident almost 27 years to the day prior to this big, ugly lie. In fact, he died long before there even was such a thing as blogging, so this is an obvious lie.
Nor did the attorney, Wayne Cyron, show any sort of harm of privacy interest. Indeed, he gave no reason at all for his request, other than the lie above and a vague claim of “harm,” with no specifics.
In short, there’s absolutely nothing private or embarrassing about this case, so there’s no reason for the court to take away the right to talk about the case. Yet as drafted, the order would even prevent discussing courtroom testimony, shared in an open courtroom
The reality is this whole issue goes to the heart of the case. Bob Malm wants to be able to behave badly and not be accountable in any way, shape or form. That includes having people write about his perjury and his bullying.
There’s no hearing date yet set on the motion, but it’s a safe bet I will continue, one way or another, to keep speaking out about my ugly experiences with Bob Malm and Grace Episcopal Church.
If any of you know reporters who might be interested in this story, please let me know. I’d love your help in getting word out.
Meanwhile, stay safe and thank you for your continued love and support.
Eric