Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Internet Commenters Exposed, Hauled into Court
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 23, 2010
Modified Sep 23, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 23, 2010
Modified Sep 23, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Readers who commented on an online newspaper article about a car crash are being called to testify in a vehicular homicide case in Montana. The defendant is Justine Winter, a 17-year-old girl accused of trying to commit suicide by veering into oncoming traffic. (She lived; two people in the other car died.) Her attorney is trying to change the trial's venue, and has subpoenaed seven individuals who commented on the website for the local paper, the Daily Inter Lake.
These people had commented anonymously, but Winter's lawyer successfully obtained their I.P. addresses from the paper and they're learning that actions on the Internet can sometimes have real world consequences? Doesn't seem fair.
Winter’s lawyer claims she will not receive a fair trial in Flathead County, and says the Daily Inter Lake's coverage, and the online comments in response to them, have tainted the jury pool. Now some of the commenters, who thought they were anonymous, are being called to testify. Of course, this is a long way from New York, and each state has its own laws, but just to be on the safe side you should probably stop leaving nasty comments on websites like this one! [Via Daily Intel]
Tagged
commenters
internet
trolls
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Police are still investigating bike crash that killed dad of 2 in Central Park
The family is raising money for the wife and two daughters he leaves behind.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Sep 29, 2026 at 9:31 a.m. ET
NYC has a plan to stop homeless people from cycling between hospitals and the streets
The Bridge to Home program, which began last year, will officially expand to Brooklyn on Tuesday.
By
Karen Yi
News
NYC has a plan to stop homeless people from cycling between hospitals and the streets
The Bridge to Home program, which began last year, will officially expand to Brooklyn on Tuesday.
By
Karen Yi
Early Addition: Billy Joel is auctioning off 70 of his motorcycles
By
James Ramsay
Man dragged to death by subway in Brooklyn after getting caught on closing doors
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Upper East Side braces for affordable housing fast track, and backlash from residents
By
David Brand
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .