When dealing with the current MMF leadership anything is possible!

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post, "What were you thinking www.CyberSmokeSignals.com?"

Just a thought - what if Terry Belhumeur has stuck a deal with the MMF, he doesn't do anything as far as his defence. Gets the judge to toss him out, but instead of asking Terry for any compensation, they drop it or ask for a small amount. This leaves you, Mr Pieuk, the only defendant and the Federation goes after you (a non-Metis) and makes you pay (if they win).

Does this sound like a viable scenario or am I reading too much into this. I heard once somewhere that David Chartrand would rather not go after Terry Belhumeur because he's Metis, but wants really badly to punish you.
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William Shakespeare 1564-1616

Dear Anonymous:

Thank you for writing. Anything is possible, however, here's the problem with your scenario:

(1) Lionel Chartrand was serving pro bono as www.CyberSmokeSignals.com's General Legal Counsel at the time the alleged defamatory material was posted. Not only that, he wrote it and sanctioned its internet publication yet has never been named as a Co-defendant. Why? We have the black print (e-mail) to prove it

(2) As CSS.com's exclusive registered owner, Terry Belhumeur controlled access (user name, password) to his site. He could have locked me out at any time which he eventually did in early February, 2006 by simply changing these variables

(3) Unlike the United States, defamation trials in Canada are before judge and jury. They are also open to the public unless the presiding justice rules otherwise - possible but highly unlikely. Can you imagine when all the MMF's dirty laundry gets washed in public before the mainstream media and blogging community? They'll have a field day!

(4) If, as you suggest, David Chartrand is really after me because I'm non-Metis he best be very careful. Perhaps William Shakespeare said it best in Hamlet when he talked about being hoist with your own petard. Roughly translated, careful if you build bombs for you may blow yourself up. Much like the lawsuit against Yvon Dumont which Murray Trachtenberg lost, this one too is ill-advised, ill-conceived and, therefore, should never have seen the inside of a courtroom. It's doomed to fail and could explode in David Chartrand's face!

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk