Hunt wrote:Dick Strawkins wrote:Ä uest wrote:
It seems odd though. His lawyers must be telling him he has an awesome case, because otherwise they would be telling him to knock it off and do his best to make sure the rest of FTB knocks it off.
Alternatively they might have told him that he's falling out of a tenth floor window with no hope of a gentle landing.
In that case Peezus might just decide that since he's going to be made penniless by his irresponsible action, he might as well get his money's worth. If a tenth floor drop is going to kill him, a twentieth floor drop is hardly less safe.
On the other hand it doesn't appear that he's warning the others to play it safe.
Alternatively, Popehat found nobody to represent him and he's winging it, jumping and hoping the horde, his one and true family outside his children and wife (whom he conveniently forgets to consider when ruminating about conference sex propositions), will catch him.
We can go on all we like about the legal aspects of the case, but aside from all that is the will of the participants to continue. Honest lawyers will likely try to talk you out of most litigation, and the earlier they try to do that, the more honest they are likely to be. Everyone in the game knows that Court is a "crap shoot" (if you're US, or "crap chute" if your just a cynic). There's really no such thing as an open and shut case and that might be what popehat was kidding about in his brain fart tweet (no, I don't think so either), which would make popehat look like as cynical a lawyer as they come, instead of just humour impaired.
Anyway, there is either some negotiating going on, or there isn't. The longer it goes, the more advantage to PZ since his alleged libel remains in place and he gets to elaborate it, via his business network, though he will hope this is deniable.
Shermer's people must know this and, having sent the C&D they will, rightly, argue Shermer must continue or lose all credibility - he'd actually be much worse off than if he'd said nothing. Shermer's options are to focus on PZ and the small band of people around him that have financial or other ties, or to go full on after everyone who repeats PZ's claims. The latter will be expensive, and may make him look vindictive if done badly.
I wouldn't put too much stock by that apparently whiney post by PZ lamenting his woes - it was chaff and link spam - typical FTB then.
