DISCLAIMER THIS IS A PICTURE WITH RICHARD JEWELL NOT THE STUDENT WHO SETTLED

I have always liked pictures of L. Lin Wood with Richard Jewell for three reasons:

1. Lin Wood found he was a top defamation – libel plaintiff attorney by representing Richard Jewell and for that all of the little guys out there now have a voice.

2. Lin Wood and Richard Jewell traveled together and lectured colleges in journalism classes about ethics, and did that until Jewell died

3. When Jewell died Lin Wood dropped everything and came home to deliver the eulogy at his “friend’s funeral” and told the world the story of the rose that Jewell left each year at the site of the one woman he was not able to save.

All of us should be so lucky to have Wood represent us or give us a voice in this 24/7 infotainment passed as news we all live in, and two any who have Wood as a friend has to be blessed, just my opinion. Wood does not give bloggers interviews. Once Wood and I were on opposite sides of a lawsuit he treated me as a southern gentleman instead of gutting me and making me cry as we hear in lots of lawsuits when Wood lasers in on his opponents.

In a Google alert I got this today and so hunted down the lawsuit of the case that has been settled.

By: Sydney Smith in iMediaEthics.org

“A student at Florida A & M University has sued two Florida media outlets — Florida A & M University’s The Famuan and ABC-affiliate WFTV — for wrongly reporting that he was disciplined because of fellow student Robert Champion’s 2011 hazing death.

And even though The Famuan, the university’s student newspaper, corrected the error made in a December 2011 story, the student, Keon Hollis, still sued because “the correction was a whisper of innocence that could never overcome the initial shout of guilty,” his attorney Lin Wood told iMediaEthics. Wood explained in an email:

“The initial false online article conveyed to readers that Keon was a participant in the hazing that resulted in the death of his friend. Before the article was corrected, it was republished and discussed on the Internet numerous times.”

The article has since been unpublished, and a correction has been published online reading:

“On Dec. 2, 2011, Keon Hollis of Atlanta was incorrectly identified on thefamuanonline.com as one of four drum majors for the ‘Marching 100′ band dismissed from Florida A&M University following the hazing death of Drum major Robert Champion. Hollis was not suspended, dismissed, expelled or reprimanded in connection to the hazing of Robert Champion. We deeply regret the error.”

Following that December 2012 libel lawsuit over a December 2011 story, Florida A & M University’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication dean, Dr. Ann Kimbrough, announced a huge shake-up with student newspaper The Famuan in early January, Student Press Law Center reported.”

…After the libel lawsuit was filed, there were several changes made at The Famuan, including a temporary suspension “from publishing,” journalism training for staff, and a change of adviser.

FAMU Journalim School dean, Ann Kimbrough, told iMediaEthics the temporary suspension was in effect for the month of January and indicated it was related to money problems. She wrote:

“The administration postponed the publishing of the first issue until the training and other processes were completed. The Famuan published its first issue on January 30. There are financial strains.”

Before responding to iMediaEthics’ inquiry, Kimbrough noted that because of the pending litigation, she had to “coordinate all responses with our attorney.”

She declined to comment on the libel lawsuit or any new measures at The Famuan because of the libel lawsuit because “this is an active legal matter.” But, she did note in an email to iMediaEthics that the newspaper’s staff had to get “training in areas including ethics, media sales, newspaper management, layout and design, copyediting, etc.”

That bold part is what made me think of Richard Jewell today.

Hollis, the student suing The Famuan, also sued Orlando ABC-affiliate WFTV for its Dec. 5, 2011 story “FAMU student leaders call for an end to hazing.” According to Courthouse News Service, Hollis’s lawsuit indicated WFTV also wrongly reported he was disciplined in relation to the hazing based on The Famuan’s story.

Courthouse News Service explained:

“Hollis says the article attributed its statements about him to FAMU’s student newspaper, The Famuan, which mistakenly identified Hollis as one of four students who had been expelled after Champion’s death. He claims The Famuan removed his name from the original article before WFTV and Cox Media published their piece, but the defendants failed to remove the false and defamatory statements. After Hollis demanded a retraction, WFTV and Cox Media updated the article, stating that Hollis had not been suspended, but he says they failed to mention that Hollis had not contributed to Champion’s death.”

Wood, the attorney who also represented Hollis in his lawsuit against WFTV told iMediaEthics that “The WTFV matter has settled. The FAMUAN lawsuit has been set for mediation by agreement of the parties.” WFTV News Director Matt Parcell confirmed the settlement, telling iMediaEthics by email: “The matter has been settled and we have no further comment.”

Here is the Original Complaint filed by Hollis against Orlando ABC-affiliate WFTV:

June 12, 2012 Hollis vs Orlando ABC-affiliate WFTV for Defamation (70)

Call me a “romantic” but I like to think perhaps Lin Wood has a picture of Richard Jewell in his office and when he defends one of the “damned” as Dan Rather calls Wood as the “voice of the damned”; Wood is grounded by the wrong and horrible aftermath of a client turned friend, Richard Jewell.

I am sure Richard Jewell thinks, “Good job, Lin, good job”.

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©Rose Turner
March 4, 2013
All Rights Reserved, do not reproduce in whole or in part without the express written consent of the author.

The expressions in this blog article are based on the opinions of Rose Turner or our featured authors, please remember we are not lawyers and those opinions expressed here are each of our individual opinions and should not be taken as legal advice and/or legal opinions. The comments following this blog article are the opinions and sole property of the blog site members and do not necessarily reflect those of the site owners. If comments to this or any other articles are not related to the article or does not meet the terms of use for Rose Speaks, they will be removed by the moderators.

Tags: 24/7 Infotainment, 24/7 infotainment passed as news, After the libel lawsuit was filed, Atlanta, Atlanta Georgia, Before the article was corrected, Cox Media, Dan Rather, Dean Dr. Ann Kimbrough, December 2012 libel lawsuit over a December 2011 story, declined to comment on any new measures at The Famuan because of the libel lawsuit, declined to comment on the libel lawsuit, Dr. Ann Kimbrough, Drum major Robert Champion, FAMU Journalim School dean, FAMU student leaders call for an end to hazing, Florida, Florida A & M University, Florida A & M University's School of Journalism, Florida A & M University's The Famuan, four drum majors dismissed following the hazing death of Drum major Robert Champion, four drum majors for the 'Marching 100' band dismissed from Florida A&M University, Georgia, give us a voice in this 24/7 infotainment, Google alert, High Profile Trials, Hollis sued Orlando ABC-affiliate WFTV, Hollis was not dismissed, Hollis was not expelled, Hollis was not reprimanded, Hollis was not suspended, iMediaEthics.org, it was republished and discussed on the Internet numerous times, Katherine Hernacki, Katherine Hernacki Esq, Katherine Ventulett Hernacki, Keon Hollis, Keon Hollis of Atlanta was incorrectly identified on thefamuanonline.com, Kimbrough had to coordinate all responses with our attorney, Kimbrough noted that because of the pending litigation, L Lin Wood Esq., L. Lin Wood, Lin Wood, Lin Wood and Richard Jewell lectured journalism classes, Lin Wood can be a southern gentleman, Lin Wood has gutted opponents and made them cry, Lin Wood said FAMUAN lawsuit has been set for mediation, Lin Wood said The WTFV matter has settled, Lin Wood told iMediaEthics, Lin Wood top defamation - libel plaintiff attorney, Lin Wood top defamation attorney, Lin Wood top libel attorney, Marching 100 band of Florida A&M University, Matt Parcell, one of the damned as Dan Rather calls Wood, Orlando, Orlando ABC-affiliate WFTV, Orlando Florida, Orlando Florida ABC-affiliate WFTV, Richard Jewell, Richard Jewell was Lin Wood's friend, Robert Champion's 2011 hazing death, Rose Speaks, Rose Speaks Face Book, Rose Speaks Twitter, Rose Turner, several changes made at The Famuan, student at Florida A & M University, student at Florida A & M University has sued two Florida media outlets, student at Florida A & M University sued for wrongly reporting, Student Press Law Center, Sydney Smith, temporary suspension from publishing, the correction was a whisper of innocence that could never overcome the initial shout of guilty, The Famuan Florida A & M University newspaper, the newspaper's staff had to get training in areas including ethics, this is an active legal matter, university's student newspaper, voice of the damned, We deeply regret the error, WFTV and Cox Media failed to mention that Hollis had not contributed to Champion's death, WFTV and Cox Media failed to remove the false and defamatory statements, WFTV News Director Matt Parcell, Wood does not give bloggers interviews, Wood Hernacki & Evans, Wood Hernacki & Evans LLC, Wood lasers in on his opponents

Great article in POLITICO today. I am glad to know that what I have been telling friends and family privately was again right on as to how the political world is changes due to instant news, 24/7 infotainment passed as news, and blogs. I explain at the end of this article as to why I feel all of this is important.

The Huffington Post dispatched a reporter to Texas this summer to investigate rumors about Rick Perry’s personal life, hoping for an irresistible story about hypocrisy.

Enter L. Lin Wood Jr.

Retained by Perry’s gubernatorial campaign committee, the acclaimed libel lawyer fired off a letter to the website in August, threatening to sue if the story ran – an aggressive response even for a candidate whose aides later admitted they entered “Def Con 9” mode when long-circulating rumors began to swirl anew as Perry prepared to run for president.

The Huffington Post’s founder Arianna Huffington said recently the website didn’t spike the story because of Wood’s letter, but because there was “simply no there there.”

Still, Wood’s behind-the-scenes work for Perry – and his more public efforts last month to shoot down allegations of sexual impropriety leveled at former Perry rival Herman Cain — suggest there’s an appetite among high-profile campaigns for a more aggressive response to damaging stories. And though some Washington scandal veterans argue Wood’s confrontational approach— which blends litigation-style PR with legal threats and actual lawsuits — is better suited for Hollywood and supermarket tabloid stories, others predict the demand for those services will only expand as scandals increasingly dominate political coverage that spreads rapidly online.

“I’m not out looking for business,” Wood told POLITICO. “But I think that any candidate for public office would be well advised to have the benefit of an experienced opinion on whether a particular article or a particular accusation might rise to the level of being actionable defamation, because I’m afraid that the environment is such that this type of reporting is not going to get better. I’m afraid that it’s only going to get worse.”

Wood is also representing failed Senate candidate Jeff Greene, who lost a Democratic primary in Florida last year, and is suing newspapers over stories that linked him to a real estate scheme. In a letter sent in the heat of the campaign to the St. Petersburg Times, Wood called their story “journalistic fiction” and suggested he would file a lawsuit for “many millions of dollars unless the Times immediately corrects its libel” by retracting the story.

Wood’s past clients show his work had been mostly outside politics until recently. I predict with Wood going out on his own now in a boutique law office we might see him more on the political stage and it would be smart to hire him before the other guy does is my motto.

Wood’s past clients include Democratic Rep. Gary Condit, in the reporting of the death of intern Chandra Levy. Wood became the star Libel Litigator in the country when he made his reputation by helping exonerate Richard Jewell. Wood went on to represent clients in a host of high-profile cases, including the parents of JonBenét Ramsey, the young woman who accused basketball star Kobe Bryant of sexual assault and of course multiple lawsuits in the Anna Nicole Smith saga.

Ray Sullivan, a Perry spokesman, told POLITICO that the governor’s team decided to hire Wood in August when “we got wind that” Huffington Post — which he described dismissively as “a liberal web-based media outlet” — “seemed intent on quickly writing lies about the governor, and we were concerned about the speed at which those lies could be published online.” Sullivan characterization of the situation matches one outlined in more detail in an ebook by Mike Allen and Evan Thomas, which explained that Perry’s aides were “distressed to learn that Jason Cherkis, a Huffington Post reporter, was in Austin prowling around on a story that had been gossiped about for years in the Texas capital: is Perry gay?”

The rumors included “a detailed story about a supposed assignation with a former [male] state official,” wrote Allen and Thomas.

Wood “authored one strongly worded letter to the media outlet, which never replied and never wrote the story,” Sullivan told POLITICO. Wood “did this one thing and that’s it. We never told him to stop and he’s not billing us now as far as I know. The purpose for which he has been retained is completed,” Sullivan said.

Arianna Huffington, president of The Huffington Post Media Group, told POLITICO that the decision not to run a story had nothing to do with the letter. “We looked at what we had; we realized that it was not a publishable story, and it was over,” she said. “The story was already killed before we got the letter from Lin Wood. I never even read the letter.” She added: “If we feel good about a story or stories, we run them, no matter what the legal threat. That’s not an issue. We have a great legal department and have no problem taking on legal challenges.”

Lin Wood’s work for Cain went differently. He began work more than a week after POLITICO first revealed that two women had received financial payouts after accusing Cain of sexual harassment. Additional accusations of harassment followed, as did an allegation from an Atlanta woman named Ginger White that she’d had a 13-year affair with Cain. L Lin Wood labeled all the allegations “lies,” urged women considering making additional allegations to “think twice” and wrote a letter to White’s lawyer asking for her phone records to “ascertain whether the decision to grant interviews was politically motivated and to determine whether she has received or [been] promised money for participating.” Wood also investigated the backgrounds of White and at least one supporter of another Cain accuser, and highlighted their financial problems, which he asserted the media had willfully ignored.

“What I find naive is the failure on the part of members of the media to be asking the tough questions of the accuser, someone who has obviously a troubled past, who has an incentive potentially financially to go out and to make these kinds of unfounded accusations,” Wood told Piers Morgan in an interview on CNN a few days after White went public about her alleged affair with Cain. “Why don’t you look at yourself, Piers, and the members of your media and recognize that you in fact and the media are participating in the deterioration of our political process?” In that interview if I remember correctly Wood never brought out the scandal consuming the U. K at the moment of illegal wire tapping which involves even Morgan’s previous employer.

Wood told POLITICO he has had “informal conversations or communications” with the lawyers for Sharon Bialek, who accused Cain of harassment, and White, “but there have been no formal demands made under applicable statutes at this point in time.”

Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon said he “really enjoyed working with Mr. Wood,” who he said talked with “several individuals in leadership positions” on the campaign. But Gordon stressed that the lawyer worked for Cain personally and not the campaign, which would have been required to disclose payments to him.

Don’t be surprised if more defamation specialists like Wood get involved in politics, Richard Painter predicted, adding “accusations – and how to deal with them both in offense and defense – is an important part of the political game. This will be more common. It is most unfortunate, but that’s the way it is.”

Political lawyers serve their clients well by trying to block damaging stories from running and by seeking to stop the spread of those that do, said Trevor Potter, who was the top lawyer for [John] McCain’s presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2008. “In my experience, it is not unusual to hire lawyers and to have them intervene with news media to essentially litigate a story in the hopes that it can be knocked down and proven unsubstantiated before it is printed,” said Potter. “And obviously, from the campaign standpoint, you don’t want to have an accuser out there doing a press tour day after day. On the other hand, if you can’t prove it’s false, that’s a political problem, not a legal problem.”

Wood told POLITICO that it’s not about politics for him, explaining “my representation of political figures in my career is not based on a political ideology.”

Though he worked on Richard Nixon’s 1972 presidential campaign (recalling he was “extremely disappointed … to learn that in fact he was a crook”) and contributed to the presidential campaigns of Republicans John McCain and George W. Bush and Democrats John Edwards and Barack Obama, Wood said “I don’t claim to be a political person.”

The principles driving his work do not “vary based on whether it’s a presidential campaign or a senate campaign or a state campaign or even a non-political attack on someone’s reputation,” said Wood, who in his late teens spent about a year covering high school football and basketball for his hometown newspaper, The Macon News. “I just happen to take the view that the rules should be the same for public figures, political candidates, and even private individuals, and that is a rule that goes back and insists upon fundamental principles of journalism being adhered to by the media.”

Ah you have to wonder if Bush would have been a one term president if John Kerry had been smart enough to hire Lin Wood BEFORE the swift boat ads took hold?

This is offense PR at it’s best, and as explained in Lin Wood’s own words he is not about political ideology. In today’s instant stories online in some cases without a scintilla of evidence I have long said we would not have had great presidents in the past like Franklin D. Roosevelt or John F. Kennedy. Wood sees where there is a need and will continue to fill that need in my opinion for years to come in the political arena. You can’t blame Wood’s belief in Nixon, I often say I voted for the guy both times and he broke my heart. Nixon is probably the single one reason I am a moderate independent that normally splits my vote today.

Be sure and read the whole story at POLITICO and the well documented links in the article that will give you a lot of background on Perry, Cain and Wood. Wonder how the democrat Jeff Greene’s litigation is going?

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©Rose Turner
December 18, 2011
All Rights Reserved, do not reproduce in whole or in part without the express written consent of the author.

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Tags: 24/7 infotainment passed as news, 24/7 infotainment/news, a liberal web-based media outlet, a particular article or a particular accusation might rise to the level of being actionable defamation, a story can be proven unsubstantiated before it is printed, acclaimed libel lawyer, afraid that it’s only going to get worse, allegation from an Atlanta woman named Ginger White, and even private individuals, appetite among high-profile campaigns for a more aggressive response to damaging stories, Arianna Huffington, attorney L Lin Wood naive, Austin Texas, Barack Obama, billionare Jeff Greene, blogs, Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon, Celebrity Trials, Chandra Levy, CNN, CNN Piers Morgan, Democratic Rep. Gary Condit, Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Greene, Democratic US Senate Candidate Jeff Greene, ebook by Mike Allen and Evan Thomas, Enter L. Lin Wood Jr., Evan Thomas, former Perry rival Herman Cain, Franklin D Roosevelt, George W. Bush, Ginger White, GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry, gossiped about for years in the Texas capital, High Profile Trials, hire lawyers and to have them intervene with news media to essentially litigate a story, how heated Piers Morgan, Huffington Post, Huffington Post Media Group, Huffington Post’s founder, Infotainment, infotainment/news, insists upon fundamental principles of journalism being adhered to by the media, instant news, Is Rick Perry Gay, J.D. Gordon, Jason Cherkis, Jason Cherkis a Huffington Post reporter, Jeff Greene, John Edwards, John F. Kennedy, John Kerry, John McCain, Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant of sexual assault, L Lin Wood naive, L. Lin Wood, Lin Wood, Lin Wood carving out that a politician does not have to openly share what is a very private life, Mike Allen, multiple lawsuits in the Anna Nicole Smith saga, others predict the demand for those services will only expand as scandals increasingly dominate political coverage that spreads rapidly online, parents of JonBenet Ramsey, Perry’s gubernatorial campaign committee, Piers Morgan, political candidates, POLITICO, public or voters right to know, rag magazines type gossip, Ray Sullivan, Richard Jewell, Richard Nixon, Richard Painter, Rick Perry, Rose Speaks, Rose Speaks Face Book, Rose Speaks Twitter, Sharon Bialek, shoot down allegations of sexual impropriety, St. Petersburg Times, suited for Hollywood and supermarket tabloid stories, swift boat ads, the environment is such that this type of reporting is not going to get better, the rules should be the same for public figures, Trevor Potter, two women had received financial payouts after accusing Herman Cain of sexual harassment, U. S. Supreme Court Justices a pass on conflict of interest, what is private and/or personal lives, Wood became the star Libel Litigator in the country, Wood’s confrontational approach— which blends litigation-style PR with legal threats and actual lawsuits, you don’t want to have an accuser out there doing a press tour day after day, “accusations – and how to deal with them both in offense and defense – is an important part of the political game, “I’m sorry you find me naive”, “journalistic fiction”

Next week, July 1996, marks the 15th anniversary of the bomb explosion at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta Georgia, and lawyers for Richard Jewell, who died in 2007, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution final fight might very well be over. A Georgia Court of Appeals ruled last week, and affirmed the dismissal of the libel case against the newspaper could signal that the final fight has ended.

L. Lin Wood Jr., who has represented Richard Jewell in multiple libel suits and upon his death represented his estate, has said he, “Will appeal last week’s adverse decision by the state Court of Appeals.” That would mean that either the Georgia Supreme Court, or even the U.S. Supreme Court, could decide to weigh in. If it gets to the U. S. Supreme Court I predict, with the using of the Court’s interpretation of the First Amendment of Free Speech in regards to campaign contributions by corporations, we could pretty much predict which way they would rule. Thus unless the Georgia Supreme Court takes the case the saga of a hero turned villain by the media has come to a close. Last week’s Court of Appeals ruling, which affirmed the dismissal of the case against the newspaper will be the end of the cases on behalf of Jewell. Lin Wood was dubbed by Dan Rather as the voice of the damned because of this case and other cases Wood became known, such the John & Patsy Ramsey libel cases, in regards to the tragic murder of their young daughter, JonBenét Ramsey.

Wood says his efforts have not been for nothing. “I do believe the Richard Jewell case made a difference. I do believe that responsible members of the media are more cautious now.” He adds, though: “I don’t think it’s deterred Nancy Grace much.”.

I would point out the recent lynching of Casey Anthony for three years before her trial by media such as Grace and others would go a long way of saying some of the infotainment passed as news have not learned much except for Grace’s screeching words of her own first amendment rights to feed the ratings game still ring hollow in many of our ears.

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©Rose Turner
July 19, 2011
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Once in a great while the veil of attorney’s fees are exposed so everyone can see what the best of the best charges.

We saw that when Jackson and Walker filed for Sanctions against Virgie Arthur in the Texas state Court. We heard it in the transcript of a hearing in that case when L. Lin Wood said his client, Howard K. Stern had a bill of $1,000,000.00, [yes one MILLION dollars], for attorneys fees to fight the two large suits in Houston, Texas Stern became entangled in with Arthur.

In the bill submitted per Court Order in the South Carolina Federal Court of the Estate of Anna Nicole Smith vs. G. Ben Thompson, Ford Shelley and Susan M. Brown Esq., we again have the opportunity to have a look behind the veil of billing by attorneys in high profile cases.

Frankly I am surprise that L. Lin Wood only charges $400.00 an hour, after all he is the best at what he does. NOTE AND CORRECTION: L. Lin Wood’s fee is closer to $815.00 per hour in most cases unless as with this case in which Bryan Cave has a “Hybrid fee basis” contract the fee is almost $1,000 per hour. I stand corrected and that is more in sync with what I thought “he should be paid”. I remember saying during my deposition that I was surrounded by thousand dollar an hour lawyers. I was wrong with that many attorneys and paralegals present I should have said about three thousand dollar an hour lawyers.

This also gives us a clear insight into what one of Wood’s client’s, Richard Jewell, said that he did not get that much money from the settled lawsuits but it was not about money to him it was about clearing his name.

Then there is ALL of the expenses of lawyers like Wood and his entourage of Nicole Jennings Wade and Luke Lantta for traveling, preparing filings, preparing for a hearing or deposition, the time spent at a hearing or deposition and even the transcripts. That plus the percentage, which is usually at least 1/3 of the settlement of a suit but can go as high as 50% of a settlement and then the “expenses incurred” and you see why lawyers walk away with most of the money.

That said, if you were Richard Jewell, John and the late Patsy Ramsey, or Howard K. Stern how much would it be worth to you for L. Lin Wood to restore your good name?

Some of these lawyers have what I call a God complex because of the mega bucks they make, however I never saw that in the depositions and hearings I was part of where Wood also participated. He is a southern gentleman but he also drives a $220k+ car and can be a mean fighting machine on behalf of his clients.

I will be writing a biography on Wood and what his previous clients got in some settlements, was it worth it to them and who is L. Lin Wood. I have done a lot of research and hope you will come back and read that later this week. Yes I will be asking Mr. Wood for a on the record statement about this unauthorized biography and his previous clients feelings about this mega lawyer.

Here are the papers filed by Bryan Cave last week.

November 29, 2010 Anna Nicole Smith Estate Filing for Legal Fees

November 29, 2010 Anna Nicole Smith EstateAffidavit of Louis Nettles in support of legal fees.

November 29, 2010 Anna Nicole Smith Estatebilling statement by Louis Nettles.

November 29, 2010 Anna Nicole Smith EstateAffidavit of L. Lin Wood in support of legal fees.

November 29, 2010 Anna Nicole Smith Estatebilling statement by L. Lin Wood.

What do you think, is L. Lin Wood worth this much?

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©Rose Turner
December 7, 2010
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Tags: $220k+ car, Anna Nicole Smith, attorneys and paralegals, attorneys fees, biography of Lin Wood, Bryan Cave LLP, Celebrity Trials, Charles "Chip" Babcock, Dannielynn, Estate of Anna Nicole smith, Ford Shelley, four hundred dollars, four hundred dollars an hour lawyers, G Ben Thompson, God complex, High Profile Trials, houly fee, Howard K Stern, Jackson and Walker, John and Patsy Ramsey, John Ramsey, L. Lin Wood, laywers billing statements, Lin Wood, Louis Nettles Esq., Luke Lantta, mega bucks, Neil McCabe, Nicole Jennings Wade Esq., Olympia Park bombing, one MILLION dollars, Patsy Ramsey, Richard Jewell, Sanctions, South Carolina Federal Court, Susan M. Brown Esq., the late Patsy Ramsey, the veil of billing, thousand dollar an hour lawyers, three thousand dollar an hour lawyers, unauthorized biography, Virgie Arthur

Welcome to the 24/7 of infotainment passed off as news Tiger Woods. Have any of you done a google search of Tiger Woods today, what about a family privacy is now up for grabs? I could not believe the main stream media covering this with questions, and then you get to infotainment and last out and out horrid jokes sites, even a new “Spirit Airs” commercial based on Woods.

In a statement released on his website in part Tiger Woods said; “Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.”

Tiger Woods is a great athlete, and now is surrounded by “tabloid scrutiny” and sadly main stream news like MSNBC and CNN, however wait until the television 24/7 infotainment hits Mr. Wood and his family.

It appears in media when asked L. Lin Wood is giving Tiger Wood some free advice like on November 30, in Dallas News Wood said; ““It’s a vicious cycle to find yourself in,” said L. Lin Wood, a nationally known trial attorney and First Amendment expert.

“When a media frenzy descends upon you, it’s difficult sometimes to make the right decision.”

Wood’s clients have included John and Patsy Ramsey, former U.S. Rep. Gary Condit and Richard Jewell, the security guard wrongly implicated in the Atlanta Olympic bombing.

In attorney Wood’s opinion, golfer Woods doesn’t owe the public any more than what little he has said so far. “

On December 1, Mr. L. Lin Wood in the NHBR said” But the same forces that ignite the story might also cause it to burn out quickly, said L. Lin Wood, an Atlanta attorney who has counseled high-profile clients.

Barring any new allegations, Wood sees coverage of the Woods story dying down in a few weeks, perhaps flaring briefly the next time Woods appears in public, then fading away. The attorney disagrees with marketers who say Woods needs to face reporters.

“To me, it would be undignified for someone like Tiger Woods,” he said. “And if you start to feed the media frenzy, it’s just going to get bigger and probably last longer.”

As the infotainment passed off as news continue to swallow up Tiger Woods and is depriving him of the privacy he is begging for while for now actually appearing he is becoming a recluse in his own home with media trucks lining the streets. Today in USA Today Lin Wood again offered Tiger Wood some advice; “ L. Lin Wood understands that full extent, [of Tiger Woods statement on the Tigerwoods.com site],. He is a lawyer in Atlanta who has extensive experience representing clients caught in media maelstroms.

“You’ve got two choices, as a practical matter” in cases like this, Wood said. “You go public and answer all the questions — in other words, tell all. Or you make the choice to treat it as a private matter and refuse to discuss publicly the issues involving his relationship with his wife and obviously these new accusations of infidelity or sexual misconduct.

“I think he has made the right decision. I do not think the issues that are now part of the media firestorm are issues that merit public discussion. … And I think going forward, Tiger should be Tiger (and not discuss) issues that do not relate to his public status or his professional endeavors.”

However on TV and in statements to the media most PR firms are saying basically “Tiger Woods should hire us and let us handle the ever growing media storm by releasing the information to the public infotainment feeding frenzy”.

So in your opining if Tiger Woods finds himself needing some help in the next days or weeks, would it be better to hire a media expert to release those “facts for you” or someone like L. Lin Wood to guarantee Woods and his family privacy is reinforced?

©Rose Turner
December 3, 2009
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Tags: 24/7 Infotainment, Atlanta Olympic Bombing, Celebrity Trials, CNN, CNN Network, Dallas News, Gary Condit, High Profile Trials, John and Patsy Ramsey, John Ramsey, Kobe Bryant, L. Lin Wood, Lin Wood, media firestorms, media frenzy, MSNBC, NBC television, NHBR, Patsy Ramsey, Richard Jewell, Spirit Airs Airlines, tabloid scrutiny, Tigerwoods.com, TMZ.com, U. S. Rep. Gary Condit

The online version of the Albany interview with Lin Wood during a golf tournament for the 23rd Lopez Hospice is a must read in my opinion. Carlton Fletcher, who can be reached at the email address of carlton.fletcher@albanyherald.com, has written an excellent article.

It outlines many of his clients, including, John and Patsy Ramsey, Howard K. Stern, Richard Jewell, the mothers of Natalee Holloway and Laci Peterson, Gary Condit and others.

He touches briefly on several of them from the rich and famous to the every day “meat cutter”, Lin “Wood is about as down-to-earth and straight-forward as a guy with his pedigree is bound to be”, as stated on the online paper.

The online paper describes Lin Wood including notes of other accolades to Lin Wood such as; “No less a luminary than Dan Rather called the Atlanta-based lawyer “the attorney for the damned.” Editor & Publisher magazine labeled him “one of the most dangerous media-plaintiff lawyers in the United States.”

“For every television interview I’ve done, I’ve turned down 100,” Wood said. “I have no desire to be this big celebrity or media lawyer, this ‘attorney of the damned.’ Certainly, that kind of stuff is flattering, and I appreciate the recognition. But at the end of the day I’m just Lin Wood, a person who cares about his clients.”

“Born in Raleigh, N.C., some 56 years ago, Wood was raised in Macon, moving to central Georgia with his family when he was 3. He earned his law degree at Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law and practiced in the city before accepting a position, [now a partner], with the powerful Powell Goldstein LLP firm of Atlanta.

And Wood’s reputation certainly precedes him. He’s become the go-to guy in cases that tend to feed the media frenzy. Some of his most noted:

— Richard Jewell, a guard who was initially accused of the Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta: “Richard was a legitimate hero. He helped evacuate hundreds of people who could have been harmed by the bomb in Olympic Park and, unbeknownst to most people, when he saw the initial reaction of the agent who first saw the bomb, he risked his life by going through a five-story tower to make sure all the people there were evacuated. Richard should be remembered as a hero, but sadly, until his death he was remembered more as the person first accused of the bombing. He showed remarkable dignity and grace in the face of all that, and he was a dear friend to me.” That was quoted from Mr. Wood during the interview. I also remember reading that at the funeral of Mr. Jewell Mr. Wood eulogy of Jewell included that on each anniversary of the bombing Mr. Jewell returned to the park late at night to place a single rose at the site of the death of one of the victims, never forgetting the woman he had not saved.

— Howard K. Stern, who was questioned in the death of Anna Nicole Smith: “Like many of my clients, the public has a gross misperception about Howard K. Stern. Of course, it didn’t help that they confused him with the shock jock, but he was not at all like he was portrayed in the media. He’s a down-to-earth good guy, a smart lawyer. He loved unconditionally Anna Nicole Smith and did nothing to deserve the treatment he got.”

— John and Patsy Ramsey, the parents initially accused in the death of their daughter, JonBenet Ramsey: In the article Mr. Wood states, “…One thing I’m glad of is that the Boulder (Colo.) DA exonerated the Ramsey family in the crime. And I know Patsy went to her grave with that truth in her heart.”

— Beth Holloway, — Sharon Rocha, mother of the murdered Laci Peterson: — Gary Condit, the U.S. congressman who was named as a suspect in the disappearance and murder of Chandra Levy in Washington, D.C and others, as outlined in the article. “The names in those cases were the subjects of hundreds of headlines and television news stories, and as is the case in such high-profile incidents, many people tend to believe the media-fueled accusations levied against the principles. Wood, however, said he believes in his clients.

I decided a long time ago that there were only so many hours in a day and so many years to get involved in these cases,” he said. “I will only represent people I believe in. It doesn’t make me a better person or lawyer — I admire those attorneys who will take on cases of people who confess or who they think are guilty, that’s necessary for our system to work — but that’s just my own personal belief.

If I believe in my clients, it inspires me to use my God-given talents to best serve them.

And while Wood is often characterized as a “celebrity attorney,” he says the cases of “everyday people” mean as much to him as those of the rich and famous.

I was proud to help a 31-year-old stroke victim get some badly needed financial help, and I defended a man who, as I told the jury, might be ‘just a meat cutter’ to some, but he had also become my friend. That man told me while the jury was deliberating that it didn’t matter if he won his case or not, what I’d said meant as much to him as the outcome.”

What touched me the most in the article was that Mr. Wood seems to understand the complexity of domestic violence, sharing something in the interview I had never read about Mr. Wood. In the interview Lin “Wood says he can’t remember a time when he did not want to be a trial lawyer, and that contention was solidified by a tragedy in his own family. After returning home from a date as a 16-year-old high schooler, he discovered that his father had beaten his mother to death.

Even though my father had committed this hideous crime, he was still my father, and I remember how two spectacular lawyers — Manley Brown and Hank O’Neal (both of Macon) — had done everything they could to help my father,” Wood said. “They did it out of a desire, I think, to help me, but that lesson stayed with me…”

To read the complete interview with Mr. Wood visit the online version of the Albany Herald.

http://www.albanyherald.com/stories/20080914n1.htm.

As a survivor of domestic violence what a thing to read for me and millions of others that understand the complexity of being a survivor as well as to why the victims remain in those situations at times for years. I have never talked to Mr. Wood and have to say I hope I don’t ever have to meet him”. I have never talked to Howard K. Stern and hope I “don’t have to ever meet him”, why you might ask, because somehow I have become embroiled in a legal case with both men. I wish them both well and maybe years from now …. Well who knows…

©Rose Turner
September 14, 2008
All Rights Reserved, do not reproduce in whole or in part without the express written consent of the author.

This article is the sole property of Rose Speaks unless otherwise stated. This article as with other articles is based on the opinion of Rose Turner, or our guest authors if so indicated. Please remember we are not lawyers and those opinions expressed here are each of our individual opinions and should not be taken as legal advice and/or legal opinions. The comments following this article are the opinions and sole property of the site members and do not necessarily reflect those of the site owners.

Please also read our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.

Tags: Anna Nicole Smith, Gary Condit, Howard K Stern, John and Patsy Ramsey, L. Lin Wood, Lin Wood, Richard Jewell, the mothers of Beth Holloway and Laci Peterson