Orlando Pet Shooter & Business Elite Chris Comins: Suing Bloggers into Silence

On May 19, 2008, a man named Christopher M. Comins shot two Siberian huskies in a field in Orange County, FL.

Initially the prosecutor was hesitant to file even misdemeanor charges against this well-connected businessman.  Thanks in large part to a grassroots Internet movement and an online petition signed by thousands, Chris Comins now faces third degree felony charges for animal cruelty!

Now for the bad news.  The dog shooter is trying to bankrupt anyone who speaks or spoke about his crime, and unfortunately that includes me.

Twice last summer I wrote on this site about these events and how they affected me.

6/6/08: Barbarian Dog Assassin (w/Friends in High Places)

8/17/08: Husky Shooter Update: Chris Comins May Face Charges

Comins has now sued me for libel for writing these truthful blog posts about what he did.

As a lover of dogs and of the First Amendment, I believe it was my right to speak out. I’ve decided to defend that right in court. Even if it means going into debt, I simply cannot allow this rich and powerful bully to intimidate me into silence.

Thank you to all who have offered their support and kind words of encouragement. For those who inquired about how to contribute to my Legal Defense Fund, here’s the link.

Please don’t feel bad if you can’t afford to contribute anything.  I understand that times are tough; the best way to help is to spread the word about my situation.  If you know people who care about animal cruelty or Freedom of Speech, please invite them to visit the following website for more information about this lawsuit against me:

http://cominsvvanvoorhis.wordpress.com/

Update: The criminal trial against Chris Comins started last week.  He is being charged with multiple counts of felony animal cruelty.