November 24, 2012

Handal says that his attorney Jean Vandel will sue all of the radio, TV and printed media in Haiti, plus Haiti Observateur for what he sees as libelous/slanderous  comments on his alleged involvement with a kidnapping in 2005.

Only a fool ends up in court!!!

When you file a Statement of Claim, outlining your case against the Enemy… the Enemy files a Statement of Defence in which he can say almost anything and these statements cannot be the basis of another lawsuit.  In other words, your Enemy can state all sorts of outrageous things, and these are protected as part of a legal action.

The Statement of Defence might claim that you are, in fact, guilty of kidnapping, and are also suspected of child molestation, rape, pillage, parking violations…  And THEN the media, or anyone else, can publicly quote the outrages, in the Statement of Defence, without Stanley Handal, or anyone filing such a complaint, having any legal right to block comments, or publication of the Statement of Defence.

Laurent Lamothe has already opened this can of worms, with his litigation against Haiti Observateur. One would think that Handal would have learned from this. One would also expect Jean Vandel to have warned his client of the dangers involved.

Lamothe should have ignored Haiti Observateur.

Stanley Handal should have sat down to talked with the Haitian media. I don’t wish to be cynical, but $$ have often solved local problems, with the local media in Haiti.

It is too late.

Handal has telegraphed his first punch and cannot take it back. Even if he doesn’t take thelegal actions, the stage is set for ongoing, and continuous attacks against him…only more openly and aggressive.

He may well have set the stage for a real trial, on the 2005 accusations, and others, in which a neutral judge – watched closely by the International Community – with control of Visasl – might find him guilty, as is the chance and risk of an honest legal system.

Even a truly innocent man can be convicted in these circumstances.

Even if innocent, Handal has opened a Pandora’s Box that will cover him with feces during the lengthy period between now and final judgment.