It’s a long and ugly story. Tim Ball, climate scientist and skeptic of warming is sued by the litigious Michael Mann, and his life is turned upside down.
All that Ball did was say Mann cheated and lied in his work to create the hockey stick. Mann sued and caused much havoc in Ball’s life, because Ball is, like most of the Skeptics, not backed by Daddy Green bucks outfits.
In fact last week I read a message by Ball on all the trouble Mann’s lawsuits have caused him and the stress.
Well some good news. Mann refused discovery requests and his lawsuit has failed for lack of prosecution and a counter claim has been filed by Ball.
And it get’s better.
I always told you that Mann was walking into the trap of putting his scientific charlatanism on trial if he sued.
The Defense for defamation or libel is the truth.
The discovery of those files Mann and UVA kept out of the hands of Cuccinelli will be a game changer.
Guess what, it also opens up a lawsuit based on the Lincoln Law, which is a law that imposes punishment on anyone who defrauds the American Taxpayer.
Mark Steyn and National Review are going to benefit from this development unless Mann can find a friendly judge to make it go away.
http://www.principia-scientific.org/michael-mann-faces-bankruptcy-as-his-courtroom-climate-capers-collapse.html
Ironic question, since this bogus claim about the status of Mann v. Ball illustrates that Jon O’Sullivan makes things up.
http://www.facebook.com/MichaelMannScientist/posts/662080770514795
http://www.desmogblog.com/affidavits-michael-mann-libel-suit-reveal-astonishing-facts-about-tim-ball-associate-john-o-sullivan
The judge deciding O’Sullivan’s criminal case found the claim that O’Sullivan’s step daughter had used his cell phone to send the harassing messages hard to believe, but gave O’Sullivan a pass. That brought O’Sullivan’s career as a High School teacher to an end.
O’Sullivan went on to write “Vanilla Girl: a Fact-Based Crime Story of a Teacher’s Struggle to Control His Erotic Obsession with a Schoolgirl.”
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john, Agnosticism isn’t about neutrality, it’s about admitting that something can’t be known. Given the chaotic nature of climate systems and the vast quantity of data we just don’t have, agnosticism is a a perfectly valid stance. Climate changes cannot be predicted. Anyone who claims they know what the climate is going to do into the future, warming or cooling, is lying.
I cannot accept the nasty comments as being reasonable, considering the circumstances. Ball was harassed by Mikey the monster. What’s the reason for all this noise about Sullivan?
How, when, and where, has Sullivan been less than honest? Point it out to me.
An since we are going by credibility of the witness what does that say about Michael Mann and his many transgressions against the truth?
Ooops … that should be O’Sullivan in both your comment and mine.
A funny thing seems to have happened to my reply to this comment a few days ago: it’s disappeared! Yet this thread still shows in my WP “Comments I’ve made”. So, I can’t remember my exact words, but they were along the following lines …
Now that you have been informed that Sullivan is not a reliable “source” for anything and that your post contains false and misleading information, perhaps you could explain why you think it will be of any benefit Tim Ball (or any other skeptics, for that matter) to leave your irresponsible words without correction?
At the very least, do you not think that you have a responsibility to change the title and strike your erroneous claims – in order to cease misleading others who might see the post but not read the comments?
P.S. This time I’m keeping a copy – and a screen capture.
Did anyone see this…from Mikey’s Facebook page. I didn’t until a reader pointed it out, because I hate Facebook. Perhaps Sullivan is full of shit again. Dammit.
https://www.facebook.com/MichaelMannScientist/posts/662080770514795?stream_ref=10
Maybe you’re right. the news is from a friend of Ball, and I hope Ball makes Mann wish he hadn’t done it. However I have no insider knowledge and never pretended to.
what is a climate change agnostic–pray tell. Coverage from a more neutral source–gee, like the Mainstream media. When you get up in the morning do you watch neutral sources or what you think of as neutral sources. You are reading this blog as a neutral source? Are you like a moderate or an independent? Don’t have enough information yet or just not enough courage. The report is from an ally of Ball because you can bet your agnostic behind that the MainstreamMedia would not be reporting anything going against the sacred climate faux scientist who could make a hockey stick. You make a good case for agnosticism. Such a comfortable position to take.
I believe Ball’s case is being heard in a Canadian court and so US legal procedure may not be a good guide. The laws are similar, but legal procedure is a lot different in Canada.
I really would like to see coverage of this from a more neutral source. Given the obvious slant of the site reporting the news, and the fact that I can’t find anything else about it from a less biased source, I’m hesitant to put any stock in what it says.
I’m a climate-change agnostic myself, so I really would LIKE more factual information on the matter, but it seems like the original site might have rose-colored glasses on.
i have noted all the commentary.
And i appreciate the commentary.
And i hope, for Ball’s sake, that there is some relief.
I didn’t put the Sullivan post to encourage all the naysayers.
sure there are some problems with litigation and lawyers as well as judges stalling or interfering with some resolution.
For Tim Ball’s sake i hope something good happens and I hope that Mikey get his ass kicked.
John Sullivan’s mortgage contribution is, from what I can find, his word only, and in the past his testimony has raised eyebrows, more than once. Anybody have verifiable confirmation of that claim?
The key point about the counterclaim is that the original plaintiff may not drop his lawsuit while the counterclaim is pending. Mann is now locked into the lawsuit.
That’s how I finally got divorced from my first wife after she sued for divorce twice and then dropped the suits after I engaged. The third time I just locked here in and rammed it through to a favorable judgment..
I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for justice. Remember who is running DOJ. Recent example? Peter Gleick. He publicly admitted to fraud, yet the Feds in Cook County to date have refused to open a case against chief climate ‘ethicist’ Gleik even after pleas from the victims at Hearthland Institute to prosecute Glecik.
That said, best to Tim Ball. I hope he can finally achieve justice and get on with his life.
However, until at least one ‘team’ member is forced to stop defrauding the public by a court of law, this nonsense will continue. Unfortunately, it will take a decent respectable AG to make that happen and after refusing to prosecute the Black Panthers for obstructing a place of public voting in Philly, Fast & Furious, IRS, giving a pass to Gleick’s deplorable conduct, etc, etc, it has become apparent that all we have is a partisan bigot occupying that position of power. It will take a new POTUS to make that change and Hillary will simply be biz as usual by the exteme left.
The False Claims Act is what you refer to, I think. It’s also known as Qui Tam litigation as someone else speaks for the government, generally because it has declined to speak for itself. Triple damages are awarded, fellow babies, meaning a contingency lawyer could take, dollar for dollar, what has been paid out to some green scamster. Solar and wind power are also fraudulent from the jump and have consumed vast sums on false claims. Also corporate limited liability may be circumvented in these cases, meaning you could take James Hansen’s yacht, if he has one, not the old typewriters from some evacuated corporate husk. It is, as they say, a low hanging fruit. Surely there must be a hungry pack of lawyers out there, somewhere, that would not scruple to take down such luscious prey? Surely.
Steve? John1282 is the author.
John Sullivan is a principle backer of Dr Ball financially. He’s mortaged his house to keep Tim Ball’s defense alive.
Given his situation perhaps he is privy to inside information not easily verified, or perhaps he is getting anxious.
Either way, he has put more on the line than just talk and deserves much more lattitude than WUWT has given.
Benefit of a doubt and wait a bit. If Sullivan thinks this is the way the case is playing out, maybe he’s right.
Steve, I’d watch out about posting anything from the Slayers. It’s mostly junk science.
Let’s give Mikey a nice fork to go with that can-o-worms he just opened.
I have yet to see corroboration for what should be a big alt-news story. (Don’t expect NBC to cover it unless Mann get’s something that looks like a win.) But yes, Mann does not comply with discovery, never intends too and never will. ATI’s attempt to independently get the E-Mails from UVA might compel release, but they keep losing. For Mann and his unlimited funding, the only question is how long can he make his lawsuit last before it is thrown out for non-compliance with court orders for discovery. Going by the Ball case and by the ATI case, years and years and years.
Steyn’s doing the most logical thing to fight this. He’s putting Mann on trial where it can hurt him.
Need to double-check this source. Tim Ball. I despise Mann, but this story has already been kicked around and rejected.
Is this new news as a few days back this came through,
Steve McIntyre (Comment #124923)
February 21st, 2014 at 3:46 pm
I checked with Tim Ball and the Ball lawsuit has not been dismissed. They have outstanding discovery requests, but to go from mere delay to succeed in a motion for dismissal is a large step and one that has not been taken.
Not everyone seems to see it this way. http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/02/21/steyn-countersues-mann-for-10-millon-dollars/#comment-1573625
I forgot to thank profitup, one of our regulars, for the tip. Thanks Mr. P. ubedaman.