SHERIFF WINS FIRST ROUND AGAINST WEB SITE TO ID EMPLOYEES

According to the St. Petersburg Times, Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Marva Crenshaw has ruled in favour of Sheriff David Gee in his efforts to identify HCSO employees who have posted on a message board at leoaffairs.com, a law enforcement forum. He now has the authority to serve subpoenas to the Web site's operator, take depositions, and attempt to identify anonymous posters.

The sheriff's legal action sought to prevent leoaffairs.com from posting comments which violates the department's code of conduct, and to identify employees who he said posted false, crude, and revealing messages about the HCSO. Some of the posts allegedly contain racist language and insults toward homosexuals. HCSO policy prohibits employees from publicly criticizing the agency, using profanity or vulgarity in public, and divulging information or making public statements without permission.

However, Crenshaw ruled against Gee's motion to prevent in advance postings to the site, saying that such action would constitute prior restraint which is prevented by the Constitution