Council Member Mike Zinkin has settled his law suit versus Oro Valley resident and Oro Valley Planning and Zoning Commissioner Don Cox.The law suit asserted that: "Since Mr. Zinkin’s initial run for Mayor [in 2010], Mr. Cox has defamed Mr. Zinkin. Mr. Cox frequently posts these defamatory remarks on the internet blog Orovalleytruth.com, the comment section of aztarnet.com, and the weekly Northwest Explorer publication. He has also made slanderous comments on the radio talk show “Wake Up! Tucson.”
The suit asserted that Cox was liable for defamation of character and for giving "...publicity to a matter concerning another that places the other before the public in a false light."
In response to the suit, in June, Cox was quoted: "'He has a personal vendetta against me,” Cox continued: “There’s no other basis for this lawsuit other than a personal attack. I have nothing to defend. The greatest defense I have is the truth, based upon all the documents that are available for anyone in the world to see. I have said nothing that isn’t true, and nothing that I don’t know to be anything but fact.'” (Source)
The suit was settled such that Zinkin received a payment to stop further action and to simply "go away."
The next step in the suit, had it continued, would have been a continuation of the discovery phase of the suit. This would have included depositions, under oath, of both parties.
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2 comments:
Not knowing the $ amount, my thought is whatever it is/was is not enough. An admission of wrong and an apology in the media should have been part of the decision.
Cox should not get to pay his way out.
The timing of the settlement is interesting...right before the depositions and having to testify under oath. I wonder why Cox (or his attorney) wanted to avoid that? Hmmm...
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