DEFAMATION: Thank you to the jurors

I want to thank Alicia Abbott for her invaluable coverage of the Posey v. Bushnell defamation trial. She attended the entirety of the trial, commuting to and from Coeur d’Alene each day, to support Eric and cover the trial. Her live tweeting of the trial allowed those of us who couldn’t attend to still follow along. She highlighted both serious and funny moments that made me feel like I was right there in the courtroom. I can’t thank her enough for this amazing service that she provided to our community.

I also want to thank the jury for the sacrifice of their time and the momentous verdict that they returned in favor of plaintiff, Eric Posey. I’m confident that their hard work and dedication to justice will have long-lasting positive impacts in our community. I’m hopeful that others, who have made a practice of defaming and disparaging those they don’t agree with, will think twice before spreading more hateful and harmful lies.

It’s sad that Eric had to go through such a devastating event, but I’m thankful justice prevailed. I sure hope that defendant Summer Bushnell learned a lesson from all this, but I’m skeptical considering she hasn’t taken down the video or issued an apology. Hopefully, she’ll have a change of heart. As Eric said, as reported by the Spokesman-Review on May 29, “I would hope that everyone would lead a life of Love, Kindness, and Respect. Light will always supersede darkness.”

LAURA TENNESON

Coeur d’Alene