Evergreen Couple Portrayed As Anti-Semites Keeps $10 Million Judgment

The Denver Channel (ABC) ^

[per loin]

Evergreen Couple Portrayed As Anti-Semites Keeps $10 Million Judgment

Quigleys Sue Anti-Defamation League After Fight With Their Jewish Neighbors

POSTED: 6:23 am MST March 2,

2004
UPDATED: 9:51 am MST March 2,

2004
DENVER -- A jury award of more than $10 million to a former Evergreen couple portrayed as anti-Semites by the Anti-Defamation League will stand, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review it.

The decision on Monday means "this is the end of the case," said Bruce DeBoskey, director of the ADL's Mountain States Region.

The victors in the case are William and Dorothy "Dee" Quigley, whose lawyer, Jay Horowitz, described them as "extraordinarily delighted" with the news.

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision came without explanation, and DeBoskey said it was a disappointment.

"But through the entire process we have continued to serve the community," he said. "We do remain committed to our fight against hatred and racism and bigotry and extremism and anti-Semitism."

The fight was between the Quigleys and their Jewish neighbors, Mitchell and Candice Aronson.

The Aronsons sought help from the ADL in 1994 after overhearing the Quigleys' comments on a cordless telephone, a signal that was picked up by the Aronson's police scanner.

They said they heard the Quigleys discuss a campaign to drive them from the upscale Evergreen neighborhood with Nazi scare tactics, including tossing lampshades and soap on their lawn and putting pictures of Holocaust ovens on their house.

Based on recordings of those calls, they sued the Quigleys in federal court, Jefferson County prosecutors charged the Quigleys with hate crimes and Saul Rosenthal, then the ADL's regional director, denounced the Quigleys as anti-Semites in a press conference.

But later authorities discovered the recordings became illegal just five days after they began when President Bill Clinton signed a new wiretap restriction into federal law.

The hate charges were dropped, Jefferson County paid the Quigleys $75,000 and two lawyers on the ADL's volunteer board paid the Quigleys $350,000 to settle a lawsuit.

Neither family paid the other anything, the Aronsons divorced and the Quigleys moved to another state.

Then in 2000 a federal jury concluded a four-week trial before Denver U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham with a decision the Anti-Defamation League had defamed the Quigleys.

The jury awarded them $10.5 million, which is now estimated at $12.5 million including interest.

DeBoskey said the ADL had set aside funds to pay the judgment if necessary.
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[Bonaparte]

You're not alone, squidly. It's happened to me, too.

[per loin]

The mass media has a way of easing us into desired opinions. One of the beauties of FR is that there are enough people here, reading in all types of publications, that there is almost always someone who will spot and point out the BS.

BTW, have you noticed that the mass media is virtually ignoring this?

[Poodlebrain]

Is Mel Brooks anti-Semitic? I've seen some of the most offensive humor directed at Jews in his movies. What technicality does he skate on?

[squidly]

BTW, have you noticed that the mass media is virtually ignoring this?

Too busy gushing over John F'n Kerry.

[Bonaparte]

"What technicality does he skate on?"

Being Jewish himself.

[iopscusa]

No good guys in this one...just ill-noble ones.

[Poodlebrain]

So, a Jewish comedian is allowed to make statements offensive to Jews in jest, but Mrs. Quigley, who is not Jewish, is not allowed to make statements offensive to Jews in jest. As far as Mrs. Quigley's comments being in jest, that was the conclusion of those who dropped the hate crime charges against the Quigleys and paid them damages.

I guess what you are saying is only a Jew can recognize anti-Semitism, and by extension those blacks are correct who claim only blacks can recognize racism.

[ladyjane]

they probably deserved any bad publicity they got as a result of being called anti-semitic by the ADL.

Bad publicity? Not all that bad. It's not hurting Mel as much as it might have hurt him ten years ago. The term 'anti-semite' is losing its bite - in part because it is used so much. The ADL has been throwing the term around a lot recently. Movie reviewers too. Every day a Freepers call other Freepers anti-semitic. Of course - no one would want to be called that but it's not as devastating a comment as it once was. Over use does that.

[Bonaparte]

"...and by extension those blacks are correct who claim only blacks can recognize racism."

Not around me, they're not. I've called plenty of black racists prejudiced. It's fun to watch the look on their faces here in liberal land. It's the last thing they expect to hear, a white boy calling them on their game. And Jews get the same treatment from me when they dare to crack tasteless jokes about Jesus. I won't tolerate it.