A decide has ordered Twitter at hand over “identifying information” for Jane Doe 2, an nameless one who used the platform to publicly accuse All Time Low guitarist Jack Barakat of sexual abuse.
Back in October 2021, Doe 2 used the Twitter deal with @ATLstatement to accuse Barakat of sexual abuse that started in 2011, once they have been 15 and the guitarist was 22. All Time Low strongly denied the allegations, describing Doe 2’s declare as an “elaborate and completely fabricated story”.
In their unique assertion denying the allegations, the band stated that they deliberate to “utilise discovery including subpoenas to uncover the identities of those that defamed them”. Now, a 12 months later, a decide has sided with the band and given Twitter ten days at hand over the knowledge they’ve that may reveal Doe 2’s identification.
“Plaintiffs cannot proceed with litigation without identifying Doe 2,” Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy wrote in his new ruling, which was obtained by Rolling Stone US.
He defined that whereas the fitting to publish anonymously is protected by the First Amendment, this doesn’t apply to defamation. Consequently, those that file “legally sufficient” lawsuits have a proper to know the identities of their alleged defamers.
A press release from the 4 of us. pic.twitter.com/tazxZAKOkr
— All Time Low (@AllTimeLow) October 25, 2021
Twitter beforehand stated that they might solely hand over the knowledge that may reveal Doe 2’s identification if served with a court docket order. The social media platform had served Doe 2 discover of the lawsuit and given her a chance to reply, however she did not reply by the court docket deadline.
All 4 members of All Time Low – Barakat, vocalist Alex Gaskarth, bassist Zack Merrick and drummer Rian Dawson – are listed as plaintiffs on the lawsuit that they filed final 12 months. There are at the least three Doe defendants who claimed anonymously on social media that a number of members of the band dedicated or have been complicit in grooming or sexually abusing followers, a few of whom have been minors.
Doe 1 posted a viral video to TikTok during which she alleged that “a famous pop punk band” that she hinted was All Time Low had let her on their tour bus when she was 13. She then stated within the feedback that they “tried to take my bra for their nasty collection [and] offered me beers”. All Time Low, as soon as once more, strongly denied the allegations, saying that there was “glaring inconsistencies” in Doe 1’s story.
Meanwhile, Doe 3 posted a tweet claiming to have counted 97 allegations towards the band – “If 97 people aren’t enough then I don’t know what to tell you.”
The lawsuit stated that this accusation had been made “without any evidence whatsoever”, including that “Doe 3 egregiously and falsely claimed that ‘97 allegations’ had been made against the band, an accusation that spread like wildfire on the Internet.”
The band have been on tour on the time the allegations surfaced. Their assist acts, Meet Me @ The Altar and Nothing, Nowhere, each dropped out of the tour within the aftermath of the allegations.