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Marc Randazza

January 01, 1970

Marc J. Randazza (born November 26, 1969) is an American First Amendment attorney and a legal commentator on InfoWars.

Marc J. Randazza
Born
Marc John Randazza

(1969-11-26) November 26, 1969 (age 54)
Gloucester, Massachusetts, U.S.
NationalityAmerican and Italian (dual nationality)
Alma materUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst (Journalism, 1994)
Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., 2000)
University of Florida (M.A., Mass Communication, 2003)
OccupationFirst Amendment Attorney
Websitehttp://randazza.com/

Early life and education edit

Randazza was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He graduated from Gloucester High School in 1987. Randazza attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he majored in journalism.[1] During his higher education, he wrote a thesis on vote pairing, which was cited by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.[2]

Career edit

Randazza is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts (2002), Florida (2003), California (2010), Arizona (2010), and Nevada (2012).[3] Randazza's first case was representing a fraternity at Boston University when the brothers of that fraternity were accused of destroying their house and other misconduct. He then began practicing in Florida as a real estate attorney. He quickly returned to the First Amendment and media field, taking on representation of an adult bookstore in Fort Myers, Florida. Soon thereafter, he moved to Orlando, Florida where his practice in First Amendment and media law expanded. He started representing defendants in SLAPP suits,[4] pornography businesses, protestors, in often unpopular constitutional law matters.

In 2004, his University of Florida thesis gained attention as vote pairing became a minor issue during the 2004 election. Randazza was asked to debate the issue on Fox News, and thereafter has been a frequent legal commentator on television and in print. Randazza served as a professor of law at Barry University School of Law, located in Orlando, Florida.[5][6] where he taught First Amendment law, copyright law, trademark law, and entertainment law.

Randazza has a practice that primarily focuses on the areas of First Amendment litigation, adult entertainment, trademark and copyright litigation, and domain name arbitration disputes.[7] He has represented a number of well-known adult entertainment companies including Kink.com, Bang Bus, and Milf Hunter. He also represents media businesses such as BME and bloggers in SLAPP suits.[8][9]

On Oct. 1, 2014, Randazza was named by Desert Companion Magazine to its top lawyers in Southern Nevada list.[10]

Representing controversial figures edit

Randazza has represented controversial figures across the political spectrum. For example, he has represent multiple far-right figures, including Alex Jones, Mike Cernovich, and Chuck Johnson; and neo-Nazi, white supremacist Andrew Anglin.[11][12][13]

Randazza defended a participant in the planning of the violent Unite the Right rally who used the pseudonym "Kristall.night" (cf. Kristallnacht). Kristall.night claimed that a federal subpoena against the app Discord following the deadly rally would reveal her identity and expose her to potential harm through doxing.[14]

Randazza defended Anglin in a lawsuit filed by a Jewish realtor in Whitefish, Montana, whose name and address Anglin had published on his neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer. Randazza argued that Anglin was not responsible for the subsequent harassment and death threats the woman received, as the personal information was protected as free speech. This claim was rejected by U.S. District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen, who noted that Anglin was actively encouraging and participating in the plaintiff's harassment, and that calls to violence against a private individual are not protected speech.[15][16]

On other portions of the political spectrum, Randazza has represented perennial candidate Vermin Supreme. In 2017, Randazza helped Supreme obtain a permit to bring a pony to protest a Hillary Clinton book signing.[17] In 2018, Randazza represented Supreme in an effort to run for Attorney General of Kansas.[18] Similarly, he has represented the defendant in Beck v. Eiland-Hall, a case before the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) filed by political commentator Glenn Beck, concerning a satire website parodying Beck.[19][20] The WIPO arbitrator ruled against Beck in the case, and in favor of Randazza's client.[21]

Representing InfoWars edit

Randazza was set to represent Alex Jones, the founder of InfoWars, in a Connecticut Superior Court case in 2018 after the infamous conspiracy theorist was sued by six families of children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting. However, when Randazza filed a pro hac vice application to be added to the Sandy Hook case as an out-of-state lawyer, the judge denied it, citing "serious misconduct," namely the discipline arising from the dispute with Liberty Media Holdings noted below.[22] Randazza's firm, however, continued to represent Jones on and off in the litigation, even though Randazza himself did not enter an appearance.[23]

Randazza also represented InfoWars in a copyright dispute over the use of a Pepe the Frog image.[24]

He also filed suit for InfoWars against the Federal Aviation Administration to permit the use of a drone to gather news footage at the U.S./Mexico border.[25]

Adult entertainment law edit

Randazza has gained attention for handling high-profile First Amendment cases and for his defense of the adult entertainment field.[26] He represented Chaturbate and XVideos in cybersquatting cases.[27][28] Years before Matal v. Tam, Randazza wrote the notorious "Fuck" brief to try to obtain a trademark registration for a product using that term.[29]

Anti-SLAPP edit

In 2013, Randazza lobbied the Nevada legislature to update Nevada's Anti-SLAPP statute.[30][31]

On June 8, 2015, Governor Sandoval signed Nevada Senate bill 444,[32] which in its initial form, stood to largely repeal the Nevada Anti-SLAPP law.[33] The initial form of the law was backed by casino mogul, Steve Wynn. Randazza lobbied to keep the statute in its speech-protective form.[34]

Klingon language edit

On April 27, 2016, Randazza filed a friend of the court brief in the lawsuit by Paramount Pictures and CBS against Axanar Productions on behalf of the Language Creation Society. The lawsuit concerned a 21-minute fan-made short film, Prelude to Axanar. Paramount Pictures and CBS claimed, among other things, that the film infringed their rights by making use of the Klingon language.[35][36][37] Randazza argued that Klingon is a living language,[38] and, as such, is a "state of mind"[39]—a system or process, which cannot be copyrighted, unlike a work.[40] Randazza contended that since Klingon was invented in the 1980s, the language has expanded past its origins, pointing to examples like dictionaries,[41] translations of Shakespeare, the Klingon Language Institute,[42] official government statements, a wedding conducted in Klingon, and translation service available through Bing.[43] To support its point,[40][44] portions of the brief were written in Klingon, employing the Klingon alphabet.[43][45]

Response to the brief was generally positive. Attorney and blogger Kevin Underhill called it "a terrific brief",[46] and Attorney Ken White of Popehat wrote that "Marc continues to demonstrate that legal writing can be entertaining, irreverent, and persuasive at the same time."[47] In an article on the blog Mental Floss, Linguist Arika Okrent particularly praised the incorporation of the Klingon language into arguments.[48] Ethan Chiel of Fusion called the brief "a joy to read" and remarked that it was "wonderful to see what is essentially (very serious) fun being had in demonstrating a point in a legal proceeding."[41]

About three weeks after the brief was filed, in an interview on May 20, 2016, J. J. Abrams said that Paramount would drop the lawsuit "within the next few weeks."[49][50] Abrams further stated that he pushed the studio to stop the lawsuit because "we realized this is not the appropriate way to deal with the fans."[49][51]

The Satanic Temple edit

In May 2018 The Satanic Temple (TST) sued Twitter for religious discrimination with pro bono support from Randazza. In August, the Los Angeles chapter of TST disaffiliated in protest, calling Randazza a "Twitter troll and an agent of the alt-right."[52][53][54]

The Gateway Pundit edit

In November 2022, Randazza filed suit on behalf of Jordan Conradson, a reporter for The Gateway Pundit (along with the publisher TGP Communications, LLC), because Conradson was denied a press pass; although a preliminary injunction was denied by the lower court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the injunction because the denial violated the First Amendment—it was not "viewpoint neutral."[55] To the contrary, the Ninth Circuit found "that a predominant reason for the County denying Conradson a press pass was the viewpoint expressed in his writings."[55]

Randazza is also defending The Gateway Pundit in claims brought by two Georgia election workers arising from statements regarding their role in counting the ballots at the State Farm Arena in November 2020.[56]

Other edit

Randazza has handled a number of "cameras in the courtroom" cases, defending the rights of the news media to attend and televise courtroom proceedings. Most notably, Randazza successfully argued this issue against Alan Dershowitz. In that case, Randazza represented Courtroom View Network in its quest to televise a highly publicized trial in Las Vegas involving the Las Vegas Sands.[57]

In late 2011, Randazza and his firm effectively killed Righthaven, a "copyright troll" company briefly infamous for buying limited rights to copyrighted works for the sole purpose of bringing lawsuits against alleged infringers.[58][59] On May 9, 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the lower court's decision dismissing the case for lack of standing.[60] Righthaven complained of what it called Randazza's "scorched earth judgment enforcement efforts" in its legal filings.[61]

In 2021, Randazza represented former Boston Ballet dancer Dusty Button and her husband, Mitchell Taylor Button.[62] Court documents include claims of federal sex trafficking and forced labor violations against both Dusty and Taylor Button, as well as separate accusations about Taylor Button for assault, battery, false imprisonment, and sexual exploitation of a minor.[63]

Dispute with Liberty Media Holdings edit

On June 3, 2015, there was an interim arbitration award against Randazza involving Liberty Media Holdings LLC, for whom Randazza had been General Counsel from 2009 to 2012.[64] The dispute arose following Randazza's departure from Liberty and his filing of employment claims against them. Following his arbitration loss, Randazza filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The arbitration was ultimately vacated in its entirety, by agreement, after the court refused to confirm the arbitration award.[65]

Arising from the same dispute, the State Bar of Nevada charged Randazza with alleged violations of Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct and Randazza entered into a Conditional Guilty Plea as to two allegations: 1.8 (Conflict of Interest: Current Clients: Specific Rules) & 5.6 (Restrictions on Right to Practice); all other claims were dismissed.[66][67][68] Randazza was given a one-year suspension, stayed for 18 months, with the requirement that he avoid subsequent ethics complaints for the 18 months following entry of the order, complete 20 hours of CLE classes, and pay the costs associated with the proceedings within 30 days.[68] Reciprocal disciplinary proceedings occurred in other jurisdictions in which Randazza is admitted, including Arizona, Massachusetts, and Florida, where reciprocal discipline was imposed.[69] [70] [71] [65] [72] Notably, the Florida Supreme Court it found no aggravating factors, with the Referee finding that there was "no clear and convincing evidence to suggest that anything [Randazza] may have done on behalf of his other clients was actually adverse to" his complaining clients.[65]

Bibliography edit

  • "The Constitutionality of Online Vote Swapping" - 34 Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review 1297 (2001)
  • "Breaking Duverger's Law is not Illegal: Strategic Voting, the Internet and the 2000 Presidential Election" - 2001 UCLA Journal of Law and Technology 6
  • - 82 Washington University Law Quarterly 143 (2004)
  • "The Florida Supreme Court Dulls the Edge of Rule 1.420(e)" - 80 Florida Bar Journal 39 (2006)
  • (Daniel Russell, co-author) - 8 Marquette Elder Law Advisor 343 (2007)
  • "The Need for a Unified and Cohesive National Anti-SLAPP Law" - 91 Oregon Law Review 627 (2013)
  • - 21 Nevada Lawyer Magazine 7 (2013)
  • "The Legal Status of Making Adult Films in Nevada" - 23 Nevada Lawyer Magazine 20 (2015)
  • "Freedom of Expression and Morality Based Impediments to the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights" - 16 Nevada Law Journal 107 (2016)
  • "Lenz v. Universal: A Call to Reform Section 512(f) of the DMCA and to Strengthen Fair Use" - 18 Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law (2016)
  • "Ulysses: A Mighty Hero in the Fight for Freedom of Expression" - 11 University of Massachusetts Law Review 268 (2016)

References edit

  1. ^ "Marc Randazza". University of Massachusetts Department of Journalism Alumni Spotlight. umass.edu. January 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  2. ^ Porter v. Bowen, 496 F.3d 1009 (9th Cir. 2007)
  3. ^ "Lawyer Marc Randazza - Las Vegas, NV Attorney". avvo.com. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  4. ^ Billmann, Jeffrey C. (August 9, 2007). "SLAPP Happy: One man's free speech is another's slander". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  5. ^ Robbins, Mary Alice (August 18, 2008). "Yale Defamation Lawsuit Becomes a Case of Mistaken Identity for Texas Attorney". Texas Lawyer. Law.com. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  6. ^ Hudson Jr., David L. (August 1, 2008). . First Amendment Center. www.firstamendmentcenter.org. Archived from the original on 2009-10-06. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  7. ^ Randazza, Marc (October 2009). (PDF). randazza.files.wordpress.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  8. ^ "Veranda Partners v. Giles (Lawsuit)". Citizen Media Law Project. www.citmedialaw.org. September 10, 2007. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  9. ^ "Internet Solutions v. Marshall". Citizen Media Law Project. www.citmedialaw.org. November 3, 2007. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  10. ^ "Top Lawyers 2014: Government - Workers Compensation". Nevada Public Radio. October 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  11. ^ Williamson, Elizabeth (2 July 2018). "Lawyers for Neo-Nazi to Defend Alex Jones in Sandy Hook Case". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  12. ^ Weill, Kelly (12 June 2018). "The Lawyer Fighting for the Fringes, From Porn to Neo-Nazis". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  13. ^ Palmer, Ewan (3 July 2018). "Alex Jones hires lawyer also representing neo-Nazi for Sandy Hook defamation lawsuits". Newsweek. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  14. ^ Flynn, Meagan (7 August 2018). "Subpoena for app called 'Discord' could unmask identities of Charlottesville white supremacists". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  15. ^ O'Brien, Luke (15 November 2018). "Montana Judge: Neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin Can't Hide Behind First Amendment". Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  16. ^ Zraick, Karen (15 November 2018). "Neo-Nazi Harassment Not Protected by First Amendment, Judge Rules". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Vermin Supreme sues Concord to have pony protest". Concord Monitor. 2017-12-04. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  18. ^ HDN, Sherman Smith Special to the. "AG gets outside help for lawsuit from Vermin Supreme". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  19. ^ Citizen Media Law Project staff (2009-09-28). "Beck v. Eiland-Hall". Citizen Media Law Project. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  20. ^ Sawyer, Rick (October 1, 2009). . Bostonist. Gothamist. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  21. ^ Bayard, Sam (November 6, 2009). "Glenn Beck's UDRP Complaint Gets The Smack Down". Citizen Media Law Project. www.citmedialaw.org. Retrieved 2009-11-07.
  22. ^ "Former Boston Ballet star Dusty Button and her husband file explosive counterclaim, deny abuse allegations - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  23. ^ "'Disturbing Circumstances': Judge Skeptical of Alex Jones' Bid to Fire His Lawyers — Again — as Sandy Hook Families Suspect Delay Tactic in Defamation Trial". Law & Crime. 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  24. ^ Gardner, Eriq (2019-01-15). "InfoWars Claims "Pepe the Frog" Derived From Argentinian "El Sapo Pepe"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  25. ^ "Infowars Sues FAA Over Drone Ban Near Mexico Border - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  26. ^ Billman, Jeffrey C. (June 7, 2007). "The F Bomb: A local lawyer teams up with a California porn king to fight for your right to trademark dirty words". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  27. ^ XBIZ (2016-07-17). "Chaturbate Victorious in Cybersquatting Claim". XBIZ. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  28. ^ XBIZ (2016-10-27). "XVideos.es Ordered Transferred to XVideos.com". XBIZ. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  29. ^ Billman, Jeffrey C. "THE F BOMB". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  30. ^ Hermes, Jeff (June 28, 2013). "Congratulations to Nevada on its New and Improved Anti-SLAPP Law!". Digital Media Law. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  31. ^ Totten, Kristy (July 3, 2013). . Las Vegas Citylife. Archived from the original on 2013-07-08. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  32. ^ "SB444". state.nv.us. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  33. ^ "Why Is Steve Wynn Trying to Gut Nevada's Anti-SLAPP Law?". Reason.com. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  34. ^ SEAN WHALEY LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU. "Free speech advocates oppose bill to weaken Nevada's SLAPP law". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  35. ^ Fung, Brian (April 29, 2016). "Behold, a legal brief written in Klingon". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  36. ^ Gardner, Eriq (December 30, 2015). "Crowdfunded 'Star Trek' Movie Draws Lawsuit from Paramount, CBS". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  37. ^ Adam, Russell (May 6, 2016). "Star Trek Debate: Does Paramount own the Klingon language?". Red Shirts Always Die. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  38. ^ Krayewski, Ed (May 6, 2016). "Paramount Objects to Klingon Language Amicus Brief by Language Creation Society". Reason. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  39. ^ Yuhas, Alan (April 30, 2016). "Who owns Klingon? Lawsuit draws battle over invented languages into court". The Guardian. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  40. ^ a b Goyette, Jared; Porzucki, Nina (May 6, 2016). "Why a lawyer wrote a legal brief partially in Klingon". Public Radio International. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  41. ^ a b Chiel, Ethan (April 28, 2016). "This Amicus brief written partially in Klingon is the nerdiest legal document you'll read today". Fusion. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  42. ^ "Is Klingon A Living Language? That's For (Human) Courts To Decide". National Public Radio. May 8, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  43. ^ a b Gardner, Eriq (April 28, 2016). "'Star Trek' Lawsuit: The Debate Over Klingon Language Heats Up". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  44. ^ McCarthy, Kieran (May 29, 2016). "Your mother has a smooth forehead, Klingon language lovers roar at Paramount". The Register. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  45. ^ Krayewski, Ed (April 28, 2016). "Paramount Copyright Claim on Klingon Language Challenged in Klingon Language". Reason. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  46. ^ Underhill, Kevin (May 2, 2016). "Brief Argues Klingon Language Can't Be Copyrighted". Lowering the Bar. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  47. ^ White, Ken (April 28, 2016). "Marc Randazza Wrote An Amicus Brief About Klingon, And It's Magnificent". Popehat. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  48. ^ Okrent, Arika (May 2, 2016). "The 9 Best Parts of a Legal Brief on Behalf of Klingon Speakers". Mental Floss. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  49. ^ a b "JJ Abrams Says 'Star Trek: Axanar' Lawsuit Is Ending". TrekNews.net. May 21, 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  50. ^ Geuss, Megan (May 22, 2016). "Beating studios to the punch, J.J. Abrams says Axanar suit will be "going away"". Ars Technica. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  51. ^ Fuster, Jeremy (May 20, 2016). "J.J. Abrams Says Paramount Will Drop Lawsuit Against 'Star Trek' Fan Film". The Wrap. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  52. ^ Burton, Tara Isabella (9 August 2018). "The Satanic Temple is divided over its leader's decision to hire Alex Jones's lawyer". Vox. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  53. ^ Merlan, Anna (7 August 2018). "The Satanic Temple Is Engulfed in a Civil War Over a Decision to Hire an Attorney With a Stable of Alt-Right Clients". Jezebel. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  54. ^ Aggeler, Madeleine. "A Guide to All the Drama Roiling the Satanic Community". The Cut. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  55. ^ a b "Ninth Circuit Orders Press Pass for The Gateway Pundit, Pending Appeal". Reason.com. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  56. ^ Hancock, Jason (2023-04-17). "As Fox News case heads to trial, far right St. Louis site faces its own defamation suit • Missouri Independent". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  57. ^ Johnson, Bob (4 Apr 2013). "Adult Industry Attorney Marc Randazza Bests Dershowitz, Wins Right to Broadcast Trial". XBiz NewsWire. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  58. ^ Green, Steve (December 13, 2011). "Can Righthaven survive latest legal blow?". Las Vegas Sun. www.lasvegassun.com. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
  59. ^ Bright, Arthur (March 15, 2012). "Righthaven is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker!". Citizen Media Law Project. www.citmedialaw.org. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
  60. ^ "Righthaven LLC v. Hoehn". Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center. 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  61. ^ "Righthaven complains about 'scorched-earth' efforts to enforce judgments". VegasInc.com. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  62. ^ Gatehouse, Jonathon; Leung, Albert (2022-07-21). "Civil suit accuses Edmonton Oilers owner of paying teenage ballerina for sex". CBC News. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  63. ^ Zitser, Joshua (2022-04-10). "Young dancers suing Boston Ballet star and husband describe trauma and PTSD following alleged sexual abuse at hands of famous couple, Cosmopolitan reports". Insider. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  64. ^ Pardon, Rhett (July 14, 2015). "Corbin Fisher Awarded 600K". XBIZ. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  65. ^ a b c The Florida Bar v. Marc J. Randazza
  66. ^ "76453: Case View". caseinfo.nvsupremecourt.us. Retrieved Dec 28, 2020.
  67. ^ LIVE, PNT (Oct 15, 2018). "lawyer Marc Randazza of Randazza Legal Group and InfoWars has had his law license SUSPENDED in Nevada". Retrieved Dec 28, 2020.
  68. ^ a b In the matter of discipline of Marc J. Randazza, Bar No. 12265
  69. ^ "Marc Randazza | NV, Attorney". azbar.legalserviceslink.com. Retrieved Dec 28, 2020.
  70. ^ ORDER ADOPTING SECOND AMENDED AND FINAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
  71. ^ O'Brien, Luke (Apr 25, 2019). "Neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin's Lawyers Want To Ditch Him In High-Profile Harassment Case". HuffPost. Retrieved Dec 28, 2020.
  72. ^ The Florida State Bar v. Marc John Randazza

External links edit

 
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  • Firm biography
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January 01, 1970
marc, randazza, marc, randazza, born, november, 1969, american, first, amendment, attorney, legal, commentator, infowars, marc, randazzabornmarc, john, randazza, 1969, november, 1969, gloucester, massachusetts, nationalityamerican, italian, dual, nationality, . Marc J Randazza born November 26 1969 is an American First Amendment attorney and a legal commentator on InfoWars Marc J RandazzaBornMarc John Randazza 1969 11 26 November 26 1969 age 54 Gloucester Massachusetts U S NationalityAmerican and Italian dual nationality Alma materUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst Journalism 1994 Georgetown University Law Center J D 2000 University of Florida M A Mass Communication 2003 OccupationFirst Amendment AttorneyWebsitehttp randazza com Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 2 1 Representing controversial figures 2 2 Representing InfoWars 2 3 Adult entertainment law 2 4 Anti SLAPP 2 5 Klingon language 2 6 The Satanic Temple 2 7 The Gateway Pundit 2 8 Other 2 9 Dispute with Liberty Media Holdings 3 Bibliography 4 References 5 External linksEarly life and education editRandazza was born in Gloucester Massachusetts He graduated from Gloucester High School in 1987 Randazza attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he majored in journalism 1 During his higher education he wrote a thesis on vote pairing which was cited by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals 2 Career editRandazza is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts 2002 Florida 2003 California 2010 Arizona 2010 and Nevada 2012 3 Randazza s first case was representing a fraternity at Boston University when the brothers of that fraternity were accused of destroying their house and other misconduct He then began practicing in Florida as a real estate attorney He quickly returned to the First Amendment and media field taking on representation of an adult bookstore in Fort Myers Florida Soon thereafter he moved to Orlando Florida where his practice in First Amendment and media law expanded He started representing defendants in SLAPP suits 4 pornography businesses protestors in often unpopular constitutional law matters In 2004 his University of Florida thesis gained attention as vote pairing became a minor issue during the 2004 election Randazza was asked to debate the issue on Fox News and thereafter has been a frequent legal commentator on television and in print Randazza served as a professor of law at Barry University School of Law located in Orlando Florida 5 6 where he taught First Amendment law copyright law trademark law and entertainment law Randazza has a practice that primarily focuses on the areas of First Amendment litigation adult entertainment trademark and copyright litigation and domain name arbitration disputes 7 He has represented a number of well known adult entertainment companies including Kink com Bang Bus and Milf Hunter He also represents media businesses such as BME and bloggers in SLAPP suits 8 9 On Oct 1 2014 Randazza was named by Desert Companion Magazine to its top lawyers in Southern Nevada list 10 Representing controversial figures edit Randazza has represented controversial figures across the political spectrum For example he has represent multiple far right figures including Alex Jones Mike Cernovich and Chuck Johnson and neo Nazi white supremacist Andrew Anglin 11 12 13 Randazza defended a participant in the planning of the violent Unite the Right rally who used the pseudonym Kristall night cf Kristallnacht Kristall night claimed that a federal subpoena against the app Discord following the deadly rally would reveal her identity and expose her to potential harm through doxing 14 Randazza defended Anglin in a lawsuit filed by a Jewish realtor in Whitefish Montana whose name and address Anglin had published on his neo Nazi website The Daily Stormer Randazza argued that Anglin was not responsible for the subsequent harassment and death threats the woman received as the personal information was protected as free speech This claim was rejected by U S District Court Judge Dana L Christensen who noted that Anglin was actively encouraging and participating in the plaintiff s harassment and that calls to violence against a private individual are not protected speech 15 16 On other portions of the political spectrum Randazza has represented perennial candidate Vermin Supreme In 2017 Randazza helped Supreme obtain a permit to bring a pony to protest a Hillary Clinton book signing 17 In 2018 Randazza represented Supreme in an effort to run for Attorney General of Kansas 18 Similarly he has represented the defendant in Beck v Eiland Hall a case before the World Intellectual Property Organization WIPO filed by political commentator Glenn Beck concerning a satire website parodying Beck 19 20 The WIPO arbitrator ruled against Beck in the case and in favor of Randazza s client 21 Representing InfoWars edit Randazza was set to represent Alex Jones the founder of InfoWars in a Connecticut Superior Court case in 2018 after the infamous conspiracy theorist was sued by six families of children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting However when Randazza filed a pro hac vice application to be added to the Sandy Hook case as an out of state lawyer the judge denied it citing serious misconduct namely the discipline arising from the dispute with Liberty Media Holdings noted below 22 Randazza s firm however continued to represent Jones on and off in the litigation even though Randazza himself did not enter an appearance 23 Randazza also represented InfoWars in a copyright dispute over the use of a Pepe the Frog image 24 He also filed suit for InfoWars against the Federal Aviation Administration to permit the use of a drone to gather news footage at the U S Mexico border 25 Adult entertainment law edit Randazza has gained attention for handling high profile First Amendment cases and for his defense of the adult entertainment field 26 He represented Chaturbate and XVideos in cybersquatting cases 27 28 Years before Matal v Tam Randazza wrote the notorious Fuck brief to try to obtain a trademark registration for a product using that term 29 Anti SLAPP edit In 2013 Randazza lobbied the Nevada legislature to update Nevada s Anti SLAPP statute 30 31 On June 8 2015 Governor Sandoval signed Nevada Senate bill 444 32 which in its initial form stood to largely repeal the Nevada Anti SLAPP law 33 The initial form of the law was backed by casino mogul Steve Wynn Randazza lobbied to keep the statute in its speech protective form 34 Klingon language edit On April 27 2016 Randazza filed a friend of the court brief in the lawsuit by Paramount Pictures and CBS against Axanar Productions on behalf of the Language Creation Society The lawsuit concerned a 21 minute fan made short film Prelude to Axanar Paramount Pictures and CBS claimed among other things that the film infringed their rights by making use of the Klingon language 35 36 37 Randazza argued that Klingon is a living language 38 and as such is a state of mind 39 a system or process which cannot be copyrighted unlike a work 40 Randazza contended that since Klingon was invented in the 1980s the language has expanded past its origins pointing to examples like dictionaries 41 translations of Shakespeare the Klingon Language Institute 42 official government statements a wedding conducted in Klingon and translation service available through Bing 43 To support its point 40 44 portions of the brief were written in Klingon employing the Klingon alphabet 43 45 Response to the brief was generally positive Attorney and blogger Kevin Underhill called it a terrific brief 46 and Attorney Ken White of Popehat wrote that Marc continues to demonstrate that legal writing can be entertaining irreverent and persuasive at the same time 47 In an article on the blog Mental Floss Linguist Arika Okrent particularly praised the incorporation of the Klingon language into arguments 48 Ethan Chiel of Fusion called the brief a joy to read and remarked that it was wonderful to see what is essentially very serious fun being had in demonstrating a point in a legal proceeding 41 About three weeks after the brief was filed in an interview on May 20 2016 J J Abrams said that Paramount would drop the lawsuit within the next few weeks 49 50 Abrams further stated that he pushed the studio to stop the lawsuit because we realized this is not the appropriate way to deal with the fans 49 51 The Satanic Temple edit In May 2018 The Satanic Temple TST sued Twitter for religious discrimination with pro bono support from Randazza In August the Los Angeles chapter of TST disaffiliated in protest calling Randazza a Twitter troll and an agent of the alt right 52 53 54 The Gateway Pundit edit In November 2022 Randazza filed suit on behalf of Jordan Conradson a reporter for The Gateway Pundit along with the publisher TGP Communications LLC because Conradson was denied a press pass although a preliminary injunction was denied by the lower court the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the injunction because the denial violated the First Amendment it was not viewpoint neutral 55 To the contrary the Ninth Circuit found that a predominant reason for the County denying Conradson a press pass was the viewpoint expressed in his writings 55 Randazza is also defending The Gateway Pundit in claims brought by two Georgia election workers arising from statements regarding their role in counting the ballots at the State Farm Arena in November 2020 56 Other edit Randazza has handled a number of cameras in the courtroom cases defending the rights of the news media to attend and televise courtroom proceedings Most notably Randazza successfully argued this issue against Alan Dershowitz In that case Randazza represented Courtroom View Network in its quest to televise a highly publicized trial in Las Vegas involving the Las Vegas Sands 57 In late 2011 Randazza and his firm effectively killed Righthaven a copyright troll company briefly infamous for buying limited rights to copyrighted works for the sole purpose of bringing lawsuits against alleged infringers 58 59 On May 9 2013 the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the lower court s decision dismissing the case for lack of standing 60 Righthaven complained of what it called Randazza s scorched earth judgment enforcement efforts in its legal filings 61 In 2021 Randazza represented former Boston Ballet dancer Dusty Button and her husband Mitchell Taylor Button 62 Court documents include claims of federal sex trafficking and forced labor violations against both Dusty and Taylor Button as well as separate accusations about Taylor Button for assault battery false imprisonment and sexual exploitation of a minor 63 Dispute with Liberty Media Holdings edit On June 3 2015 there was an interim arbitration award against Randazza involving Liberty Media Holdings LLC for whom Randazza had been General Counsel from 2009 to 2012 64 The dispute arose following Randazza s departure from Liberty and his filing of employment claims against them Following his arbitration loss Randazza filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection The arbitration was ultimately vacated in its entirety by agreement after the court refused to confirm the arbitration award 65 Arising from the same dispute the State Bar of Nevada charged Randazza with alleged violations of Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct and Randazza entered into a Conditional Guilty Plea as to two allegations 1 8 Conflict of Interest Current Clients Specific Rules amp 5 6 Restrictions on Right to Practice all other claims were dismissed 66 67 68 Randazza was given a one year suspension stayed for 18 months with the requirement that he avoid subsequent ethics complaints for the 18 months following entry of the order complete 20 hours of CLE classes and pay the costs associated with the proceedings within 30 days 68 Reciprocal disciplinary proceedings occurred in other jurisdictions in which Randazza is admitted including Arizona Massachusetts and Florida where reciprocal discipline was imposed 69 70 71 65 72 Notably the Florida Supreme Court it found no aggravating factors with the Referee finding that there was no clear and convincing evidence to suggest that anything Randazza may have done on behalf of his other clients was actually adverse to his complaining clients 65 Bibliography edit The Constitutionality of Online Vote Swapping 34 Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review 1297 2001 Breaking Duverger s Law is not Illegal Strategic Voting the Internet and the 2000 Presidential Election 2001 UCLA Journal of Law and Technology 6 The Other Election Controversy of Y2K Core First Amendment Values and High Tech Political Coalitions 82 Washington University Law Quarterly 143 2004 The Florida Supreme Court Dulls the Edge of Rule 1 420 e 80 Florida Bar Journal 39 2006 Gambling in America s Senior Communities Daniel Russell co author 8 Marquette Elder Law Advisor 343 2007 The Need for a Unified and Cohesive National Anti SLAPP Law 91 Oregon Law Review 627 2013 Nevada s New Anti SLAPP Law The Silver State Sets the Gold Standard 21 Nevada Lawyer Magazine 7 2013 The Legal Status of Making Adult Films in Nevada 23 Nevada Lawyer Magazine 20 2015 Freedom of Expression and Morality Based Impediments to the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights 16 Nevada Law Journal 107 2016 Lenz v Universal A Call to Reform Section 512 f of the DMCA and to Strengthen Fair Use 18 Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment amp Technology Law 2016 Ulysses A Mighty Hero in the Fight for Freedom of Expression 11 University of Massachusetts Law Review 268 2016 References edit Marc Randazza University of Massachusetts Department of Journalism Alumni Spotlight umass edu January 2012 Retrieved 2012 03 15 Porter v Bowen 496 F 3d 1009 9th Cir 2007 Lawyer Marc Randazza Las Vegas NV Attorney avvo com Retrieved 4 January 2016 Billmann Jeffrey C August 9 2007 SLAPP Happy One man s free speech is another s slander Orlando Weekly Retrieved 2009 10 17 Robbins Mary Alice August 18 2008 Yale Defamation Lawsuit Becomes a Case of Mistaken Identity for Texas Attorney Texas Lawyer Law com Retrieved 2009 10 17 Hudson Jr David L August 1 2008 3rd Circuit won t create new category of unprotected speech First Amendment Center www firstamendmentcenter org Archived from the original on 2009 10 06 Retrieved 2009 10 17 Randazza Marc October 2009 Randazza Attorney CV PDF randazza files wordpress com Archived from the original PDF on 23 July 2012 Retrieved 2009 10 17 Veranda Partners v Giles Lawsuit Citizen Media Law Project www citmedialaw org September 10 2007 Retrieved 2009 10 17 Internet Solutions v Marshall Citizen Media Law Project www citmedialaw org November 3 2007 Retrieved 2009 10 17 Top Lawyers 2014 Government Workers Compensation Nevada Public Radio October 2014 Retrieved 4 January 2016 Williamson Elizabeth 2 July 2018 Lawyers for Neo Nazi to Defend Alex Jones in Sandy Hook Case The New York Times Retrieved 16 November 2018 Weill Kelly 12 June 2018 The Lawyer Fighting for the Fringes From Porn to Neo Nazis The Daily Beast Retrieved 16 November 2018 Palmer Ewan 3 July 2018 Alex Jones hires lawyer also representing neo Nazi for Sandy Hook defamation lawsuits Newsweek Retrieved 16 November 2018 Flynn Meagan 7 August 2018 Subpoena for app called Discord could unmask identities of Charlottesville white supremacists The Washington Post Retrieved 16 November 2018 O Brien Luke 15 November 2018 Montana Judge Neo Nazi Andrew Anglin Can t Hide Behind First Amendment Huffington Post Retrieved 16 November 2018 Zraick Karen 15 November 2018 Neo Nazi Harassment Not Protected by First Amendment Judge Rules The New York Times Retrieved 16 November 2018 Vermin Supreme sues Concord to have pony protest Concord Monitor 2017 12 04 Retrieved 2023 09 15 HDN Sherman Smith Special to the AG gets outside help for lawsuit from Vermin Supreme The Topeka Capital Journal Retrieved 2023 09 15 Citizen Media Law Project staff 2009 09 28 Beck v Eiland Hall Citizen Media Law Project Retrieved 2009 10 17 Sawyer Rick October 1 2009 Today in Randazza s Zings Glenn Beck Why Do You Hate America Bostonist Gothamist Archived from the original on February 24 2012 Retrieved 2009 10 17 Bayard Sam November 6 2009 Glenn Beck s UDRP Complaint Gets The Smack Down Citizen Media Law Project www citmedialaw org Retrieved 2009 11 07 Former Boston Ballet star Dusty Button and her husband file explosive counterclaim deny abuse allegations The Boston Globe BostonGlobe com Retrieved 2022 12 09 Disturbing Circumstances Judge Skeptical of Alex Jones Bid to Fire His Lawyers Again as Sandy Hook Families Suspect Delay Tactic in Defamation Trial Law amp Crime 2022 06 02 Retrieved 2022 12 09 Gardner Eriq 2019 01 15 InfoWars Claims Pepe the Frog Derived From Argentinian El Sapo Pepe The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 2022 12 09 Infowars Sues FAA Over Drone Ban Near Mexico Border Law360 www law360 com Retrieved 2022 12 09 Billman Jeffrey C June 7 2007 The F Bomb A local lawyer teams up with a California porn king to fight for your right to trademark dirty words Orlando Weekly Retrieved 2009 10 17 XBIZ 2016 07 17 Chaturbate Victorious in Cybersquatting Claim XBIZ Retrieved 2023 09 15 XBIZ 2016 10 27 XVideos es Ordered Transferred to XVideos com XBIZ Retrieved 2023 09 15 Billman Jeffrey C THE F BOMB Orlando Weekly Retrieved 2023 09 15 Hermes Jeff June 28 2013 Congratulations to Nevada on its New and Improved Anti SLAPP Law Digital Media Law Retrieved July 7 2013 Totten Kristy July 3 2013 Free speech just got freer in Nevada Las Vegas Citylife Archived from the original on 2013 07 08 Retrieved July 7 2013 SB444 state nv us Retrieved 4 January 2016 Why Is Steve Wynn Trying to Gut Nevada s Anti SLAPP Law Reason com 22 April 2015 Retrieved 4 January 2016 SEAN WHALEY LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU Free speech advocates oppose bill to weaken Nevada s SLAPP law Las Vegas Review Journal Retrieved 4 January 2016 Fung Brian April 29 2016 Behold a legal brief written in Klingon The Washington Post Retrieved June 3 2016 Gardner Eriq December 30 2015 Crowdfunded Star Trek Movie Draws Lawsuit from Paramount CBS The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved June 3 2016 Adam Russell May 6 2016 Star Trek Debate Does Paramount own the Klingon language Red Shirts Always Die Retrieved June 3 2016 Krayewski Ed May 6 2016 Paramount Objects to Klingon Language Amicus Brief by Language Creation Society Reason Retrieved June 3 2016 Yuhas Alan April 30 2016 Who owns Klingon Lawsuit draws battle over invented languages into court The Guardian Retrieved June 3 2016 a b Goyette Jared Porzucki Nina May 6 2016 Why a lawyer wrote a legal brief partially in Klingon Public Radio International Retrieved June 3 2016 a b Chiel Ethan April 28 2016 This Amicus brief written partially in Klingon is the nerdiest legal document you ll read today Fusion Retrieved June 3 2016 Is Klingon A Living Language That s For Human Courts To Decide National Public Radio May 8 2016 Retrieved June 3 2016 a b Gardner Eriq April 28 2016 Star Trek Lawsuit The Debate Over Klingon Language Heats Up The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved June 3 2016 McCarthy Kieran May 29 2016 Your mother has a smooth forehead Klingon language lovers roar at Paramount The Register Retrieved June 3 2016 Krayewski Ed April 28 2016 Paramount Copyright Claim on Klingon Language Challenged in Klingon Language Reason Retrieved June 3 2016 Underhill Kevin May 2 2016 Brief Argues Klingon Language Can t Be Copyrighted Lowering the Bar Retrieved June 3 2016 White Ken April 28 2016 Marc Randazza Wrote An Amicus Brief About Klingon And It s Magnificent Popehat Retrieved June 3 2016 Okrent Arika May 2 2016 The 9 Best Parts of a Legal Brief on Behalf of Klingon Speakers Mental Floss Retrieved June 3 2016 a b JJ Abrams Says Star Trek Axanar Lawsuit Is Ending TrekNews net May 21 2016 Archived from the original on 2021 12 20 Retrieved June 3 2016 Geuss Megan May 22 2016 Beating studios to the punch J J Abrams says Axanar suit will be going away Ars Technica Retrieved June 3 2016 Fuster Jeremy May 20 2016 J J Abrams Says Paramount Will Drop Lawsuit Against Star Trek Fan Film The Wrap Retrieved June 3 2016 Burton Tara Isabella 9 August 2018 The Satanic Temple is divided over its leader s decision to hire Alex Jones s lawyer Vox Retrieved 11 September 2018 Merlan Anna 7 August 2018 The Satanic Temple Is Engulfed in a Civil War Over a Decision to Hire an Attorney With a Stable of Alt Right Clients Jezebel Retrieved 11 September 2018 Aggeler Madeleine A Guide to All the Drama Roiling the Satanic Community The Cut Retrieved 11 September 2018 a b Ninth Circuit Orders Press Pass for The Gateway Pundit Pending Appeal Reason com 6 December 2022 Retrieved 2022 12 09 Hancock Jason 2023 04 17 As Fox News case heads to trial far right St Louis site faces its own defamation suit Missouri Independent Missouri Independent Retrieved 2023 09 15 Johnson Bob 4 Apr 2013 Adult Industry Attorney Marc Randazza Bests Dershowitz Wins Right to Broadcast Trial XBiz NewsWire Retrieved 16 May 2013 Green Steve December 13 2011 Can Righthaven survive latest legal blow Las Vegas Sun www lasvegassun com Retrieved 2011 12 13 Bright Arthur March 15 2012 Righthaven is no more It has ceased to be It s expired and gone to meet its maker Citizen Media Law Project www citmedialaw org Retrieved 2012 03 16 Righthaven LLC v Hoehn Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center 2013 05 09 Retrieved 2022 10 29 Righthaven complains about scorched earth efforts to enforce judgments VegasInc com 9 January 2012 Retrieved 2015 11 30 Gatehouse Jonathon Leung Albert 2022 07 21 Civil suit accuses Edmonton Oilers owner of paying teenage ballerina for sex CBC News Retrieved 2022 07 22 Zitser Joshua 2022 04 10 Young dancers suing Boston Ballet star and husband describe trauma and PTSD following alleged sexual abuse at hands of famous couple Cosmopolitan reports Insider Retrieved 2022 07 22 Pardon Rhett July 14 2015 Corbin Fisher Awarded 600K XBIZ Retrieved November 6 2015 a b c The Florida Bar v Marc J Randazza 76453 Case View caseinfo nvsupremecourt us Retrieved Dec 28 2020 LIVE PNT Oct 15 2018 lawyer Marc Randazza of Randazza Legal Group and InfoWars has had his law license SUSPENDED in Nevada Retrieved Dec 28 2020 a b In the matter of discipline of Marc J Randazza Bar No 12265 Marc Randazza NV Attorney azbar legalserviceslink com Retrieved Dec 28 2020 ORDER ADOPTING SECOND AMENDED AND FINAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION O Brien Luke Apr 25 2019 Neo Nazi Andrew Anglin s Lawyers Want To Ditch Him In High Profile Harassment Case HuffPost Retrieved Dec 28 2020 The Florida State Bar v Marc John RandazzaExternal links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Marc Randazza nbsp Wikinews has news related to Marc Randazza nbsp Wikisource has original text related to this article Author Marc Randazza nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marc Randazza Firm biography Marc Randazza s contributions to Popehat Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Marc Randazza amp oldid 1221421774, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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