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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA newspaper's ability to withhold the identity of an anonymous online commenter will be the subject of arguments before the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Attorneys for The Indianapolis Star will go before the court Monday to argue that the identity of a commenter called "DownWithTheColts" is protected by the state's newspaper shield law, the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment and the Indiana Constitution.
A former Junior Achievement official is seeking the commenter's identity for a defamation suit filed after DownWithTheColts commented on a 2010 Star website story about missing money at Junior Achievement of Central Indiana.
The Star has since switched to using Facebook to handle readers' online comments.
The court says no Indiana court has ever decided a case with these circumstances.
Marion Superior Court Judge S.K. Reid ruled earlier this year that the media outlets that had covered the JA controversy, including IBJ and WRTV-TV Channel 6, must disclose the identify of online posters.
All the media outlets involved in the litigation objected to Miller’s request for the commenters’ Internet addresses. IBJ and Channel 6 complied with the judge’s order, but The Star filed an appeal.
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