Woman Accused in MySpace Suicide Case Seeks to Have All Charges Dismissed

[Ptarmigan]

Woman Accused in MySpace Suicide Case Seeks to Have All Charges Dismissed
By Peter Whoriskey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 24, 2008

The lawyer for a Missouri mother accused of creating a fake MySpace page to harass a 13-year-old girl is arguing that charges should be tossed out of court because if she is guilty, then so are millions of Internet users every day.

Lori Drew became the focus of national outrage after the girl committed suicide. Court papers filed yesterday seize on a possible weakness in the prosecution case that has been noted by several legal experts since the May indictment: While Drew's alleged behavior may have been wrong, there is no legal sanction against it.

In charging Drew, prosecutors relied on their belief that she, like countless others on social networks such as MySpace, created a fake identity -- in this case, a 16-year-old boy, "Josh Evans," who flirted with and then rejected 13-year-old Megan Meier.

Full Article

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I don't think this will be dismissed. Anyways, whatever happens to Lori Drew, guilty or not, she is screwed period. Remember OJ Simpson and Lizzie Borden? Both were found not guilty and they ended up being shunned for LIFE. Even in death, Borden is still reviled and she died in 1927. Ultimately, Lori Drew has to answer to God and will not be pleased. Lori Drew has a place in Hell along side with history's most evil figures; Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Pol Pot, 9/11 Hijackers, Elizabeth Bathory, Seung-Hui Cho, and Ted Bundy.

[Airwolf]

Its not going to happen Lori.You got caught now pay the price the judge tells you to pay.

[Lauri]

Its not going to happen Lori.You got caught now pay the price the judge tells you to pay.

i think the public shunning is a good start.. i cant imagine having my friends, family and neighbors knowing what a vile piece of crap i turned out to be could be less worse than a jail sentence.

[Chris_]

Its not going to happen Lori.You got caught now pay the price the judge tells you to pay.

Got caught doing what specific illegal act(s)?  I have been having a heck of a time trying to find anything she could be found guilty of, except stupidity and callousness.

[Inga]

Dido, to stupidity and callousness.

[Lord Undies]

Its not going to happen Lori.You got caught now pay the price the judge tells you to pay.

Got caught doing what specific illegal act(s)?  I have been having a heck of a time trying to find anything she could be found guilty of, except stupidity and callousness.

I'm with you, especially since the state declined to indict the woman on whatever charges they could have dreamed up.  This criminal prosecution is ridiculous.  She did not kill anyone.  She took advantage of a cruel hoax.  This should be in civil court.

The woman is hardly OJ Simpson or Lizzie Borden.  

[miskie]

I dont think she will ever live a normal life regardless of if she is tried or not - Tis a whole new level of low she went to.

As for Lizzie Borden -- she is one of the Wife's cousins.. Needless to say - I try to not upset the missus too much

[Miss Mia]

Its not going to happen Lori.You got caught now pay the price the judge tells you to pay.

Got caught doing what specific illegal act(s)?  I have been having a heck of a time trying to find anything she could be found guilty of, except stupidity and callousness.

I'm with you, especially since the state declined to indict the woman on whatever charges they could have dreamed up.  This criminal prosecution is ridiculous.  She did not kill anyone.  She took advantage of a cruel hoax.  This should be in civil court.

The woman is hardly OJ Simpson or Lizzie Borden. 

Agreed

[Ptarmigan]

I'm with you, especially since the state declined to indict the woman on whatever charges they could have dreamed up.  This criminal prosecution is ridiculous.  She did not kill anyone.  She took advantage of a cruel hoax.  This should be in civil court.

The woman is hardly OJ Simpson or Lizzie Borden.  

Dude, lighten up. Take a deep breath and chill pill.  I DID'T DIRECTLY compare Lori Drew to those two. I used them as analogy for their future. They were a different situation, but they both still invoke animosity by almost everyone, like Lori Drew is getting today. 

[Ptarmigan]

i think the public shunning is a good start.. i cant imagine having my friends, family and neighbors knowing what a vile piece of crap i turned out to be could be less worse than a jail sentence.

I don't know what it is like to be shunned like this. I rather die than live if that was the case.

[Rebel]

You guys better f'n hope she doesn't go to jail for this shit and set a precedent. Have you seen the DUmpster? Do we really want to go down that path? I feel for the little girl, but she could have always turned off the PC.

[Ptarmigan]

You guys better f'n hope she doesn't go to jail for this shit and set a precedent. Have you seen the DUmpster? Do we really want to go down that path? I feel for the little girl, but she could have always turned off the PC.

The local prosecutor is a spineless coward. He takes some blame for this. Anyways, I think blaming the victim is wrong and just as bad as the criminal. And yeah, I don't like the charges either. If she sets a precedent, be damned that Lori Drew will be a target of scorn. We are entering a new field.

[Lord Undies]

I'm with you, especially since the state declined to indict the woman on whatever charges they could have dreamed up.  This criminal prosecution is ridiculous.  She did not kill anyone.  She took advantage of a cruel hoax.  This should be in civil court.

The woman is hardly OJ Simpson or Lizzie Borden.  

Dude, lighten up. Take a deep breath and chill pill.  I DID'T DIRECTLY compare Lori Drew to those two. I used them as analogy for their future. They were a different situation, but they both still invoke animosity by almost everyone, like Lori Drew is getting today. 

I rarely slip into heavy and I'm certainly comfortable in my conditioned air.  Your over-reaction has me concerned, however.    

I'm even more concerned you didn't compare her to a bunnie in a cabbage patch.  

[Lord Undies]

You guys better f'n hope she doesn't go to jail for this shit and set a precedent. Have you seen the DUmpster? Do we really want to go down that path? I feel for the little girl, but she could have always turned off the PC.

F'in' A!

[Chris_]

i think the public shunning is a good start.. i cant imagine having my friends, family and neighbors knowing what a vile piece of crap i turned out to be could be less worse than a jail sentence.

I don't know what it is like to be shunned like this. I rather die than live if that was the case.

I learned to live with it.

[Ptarmigan]

I rarely slip into heavy and I'm certainly comfortable in my conditioned air.  Your over-reaction has me concerned, however.    

I'm even more concerned you didn't compare her to a bunnie in a cabbage patch.  

How did I overreact. Let's keep the bunny thing off. Bunny hatred is not exactly high on my list and she is different from bunnies. Bunnies have more dignity that she does. 

[Bluesuiter-Retired]

Uuuuuuuuh, you guys do know that Missouri has since passed an cyber bullying law, right?

There are federal laws which come in to play depending upon where the server, which handles that communities internet, is located - interstate wire fraud comes to mind since she committed a fraud when she opened that MySpace account.

[Chris_]

Uuuuuuuuh, you guys do know that Missouri has since passed an cyber bullying law, right?

There are federal laws which come in to play depending upon where the server, which handles that communities internet, is located - interstate wire fraud comes to mind since she committed a fraud when she opened that MySpace account.

Just like I defrauded CC when I said my name is "Free Dumb2003"?  If I go to Hotmail and open an account to then open a MySpace account, is that a Federal Crime?  No, it isn't.

Give me a freaking break.

As far as the Cyber Bullying goes, if this pozt makes you cry (it might), am I guilty of it?

Last thing: Look up "Bill of Attainder."

[Lord Undies]

Uuuuuuuuh, you guys do know that Missouri has since passed an cyber bullying law, right?

There are federal laws which come in to play depending upon where the server, which handles that communities internet, is located - interstate wire fraud comes to mind since she committed a fraud when she opened that MySpace account.

Just like I defrauded CC when I said my name is "Free Dumb2003"?  If I go to Hotmail and open an account to then open a MySpace account, is that a Federal Crime?  No, it isn't.

Give me a freaking break.

As far as the Cyber Bullying goes, if this pozt makes you cry (it might), am I guilty of it?

Last thing: Look up "Bill of Attainder."

I want everyone who has every been published in "Dear Abby" arrested for fraud!

Signed,

Handsome In Texas

[Chris_]

i think the public shunning is a good start.. i cant imagine having my friends, family and neighbors knowing what a vile piece of crap i turned out to be could be less worse than a jail sentence.

I don't know what it is like to be shunned like this. I rather die than live if that was the case.

I learned to live with it.

[Rebel]

Uuuuuuuuh, you guys do know that Missouri has since passed an cyber bullying law, right?

There are federal laws which come in to play depending upon where the server, which handles that communities internet, is located - interstate wire fraud comes to mind since she committed a fraud when she opened that MySpace account.

What the hell do you think what we do to liberals can be loosely construed as?

[RightCoast]

Uuuuuuuuh, you guys do know that Missouri has since passed an cyber bullying law, right?

There are federal laws which come in to play depending upon where the server, which handles that communities internet, is located - interstate wire fraud comes to mind since she committed a fraud when she opened that MySpace account.

Just like I defrauded CC when I said my name is "Free Dumb2003"?  If I go to Hotmail and open an account to then open a MySpace account, is that a Federal Crime?  No, it isn't.

Give me a freaking break.

As far as the Cyber Bullying goes, if this pozt makes you cry (it might), am I guilty of it?

Last thing: Look up "Bill of Attainder."

What she did is far different than signing up on an anonymous board.  She signed up on a networking site as a "real person" established contact with one specific target and proceeded to slowly drive that person crazy.  A person IIRC that she know to be emotionally unstable already.  Makes for an interesting case but what the prosecutor is saying is that girl would not be dead if Lori Drew did not enter her cyber life and tear her apart.

Trying to compare that to our ridicule of DU is trivializing that girl's death and the probably horrifyingly emotionally painful last days of her 15 year old life.

[Lord Undies]

Uuuuuuuuh, you guys do know that Missouri has since passed an cyber bullying law, right?

There are federal laws which come in to play depending upon where the server, which handles that communities internet, is located - interstate wire fraud comes to mind since she committed a fraud when she opened that MySpace account.

Just like I defrauded CC when I said my name is "Free Dumb2003"?  If I go to Hotmail and open an account to then open a MySpace account, is that a Federal Crime?  No, it isn't.

Give me a freaking break.

As far as the Cyber Bullying goes, if this pozt makes you cry (it might), am I guilty of it?

Last thing: Look up "Bill of Attainder."

What she did is far different than signing up on an anonymous board.  She signed up on a networking site as a "real person" established contact with one specific target and proceeded to slowly drive that person crazy.  A person IIRC that she know to be emotionally unstable already.  Makes for an interesting case but what the prosecutor is saying is that girl would not be dead if Lori Drew did not enter her cyber life and tear her apart.

Trying to compare that to our ridicule of DU is trivializing that girl's death and the probably horrifyingly emotionally painful last days of her 15 year old life.

MySpace doesn't ring you up or come to your door unannounced.  You must seek it.  That is where this prosecution gets dangerous.  The victim(s) had all the control in the situation. 

It is my observation that once a case like this is formulated around the slimest of legal circumstances, and yet is successful, it becomes a starting gate to race to see how many other similar cases can be built on flimsier and flimsier legal grounds.

This evil woman and this case belongs in civil court, not in criminal court.  We already have enough laws in this country.  In fact, we have so many laws that we are all walking around as unindicted future felons already.  We don't need to create new circumstances for ourselves. 

   

[RightCoast]

Uuuuuuuuh, you guys do know that Missouri has since passed an cyber bullying law, right?

There are federal laws which come in to play depending upon where the server, which handles that communities internet, is located - interstate wire fraud comes to mind since she committed a fraud when she opened that MySpace account.

Just like I defrauded CC when I said my name is "Free Dumb2003"?  If I go to Hotmail and open an account to then open a MySpace account, is that a Federal Crime?  No, it isn't.

Give me a freaking break.

As far as the Cyber Bullying goes, if this pozt makes you cry (it might), am I guilty of it?

Last thing: Look up "Bill of Attainder."

What she did is far different than signing up on an anonymous board.  She signed up on a networking site as a "real person" established contact with one specific target and proceeded to slowly drive that person crazy.  A person IIRC that she know to be emotionally unstable already.  Makes for an interesting case but what the prosecutor is saying is that girl would not be dead if Lori Drew did not enter her cyber life and tear her apart.

Trying to compare that to our ridicule of DU is trivializing that girl's death and the probably horrifyingly emotionally painful last days of her 15 year old life.

MySpace doesn't ring you up or come to your door unannounced.  You must seek it.  That is where this prosecution gets dangerous.  The victim(s) had all the control in the situation. 

It is my observation that once a case like this is formulated around the slimest of legal circumstances, and yet is successful, it becomes a starting gate to race to see how many other similar cases can be built on flimsier and flimsier legal grounds.

This evil woman and this case belongs in civil court, not in criminal court.  We already have enough laws in this country.  In fact, we have so many laws that we are all walking around as unindicted future felons already.  We don't need to create new circumstances for ourselves. 

  

I disagree about the amount of control the vic had, she was roped into what she thought was a good thing by Lori.  And honestly I would be happy to see this lady go to prison, primarily because she did what she did with full malice aforethought.  Maybe she didn't know the girl was going to off herself - but Lori set out to cause the maximum amount of emotional harm possible to someone I believe she knew was already emotionally troubled.  If Lori Drew was a peer that may be a different story, but IMHO, as an adult there should be consequences for her actions; and I for one don't really care if it means a little more thought before posting on an internet message board.

[DixieBelle]

I don't like the slippery slope at all. The liberals are only too happy to watch us willingly step up to said slope only to wait until they can use it against us to bump us over the edge. Nope. Not liking it all.

Civil court. That's where this vile woman belongs.

I can also live with the fact that she'll be shunned til her dying day. I'd also be happy if a civil court ruled that she couldn't change her identity to "start over". Nope. She should be forced to live with this around her neck until she no longer draws breath. That to me is far worse than establishing a draconian law that may later ensnare innocent individuals.