QUESTION
I know someone who advised a group to post negative comments about a business. The business is asking me to identify that person. Do I have to?
Asked on Oct 01st, 2012 on Civil Litigation - Idaho
More details to this question:
Neither I nor the person who advised via email posted/published anything publicly.
The group took some items (not verbatim) and added their own views. Items in the post are either true or inquiries - not presented as statements of fact. The issue at hand is over non-payment and the posts were on personal Facebook pages and one local news website.
The company is asking me to give up the identity of the person who advised the group. No charges have currently been filed against the group. Do they have any legal means/process to make me give up that person's name?
1 ANSWER
Assuming you have no relationship or contract with the business, you have no obligation to disclose anything to them voluntarily. However, they will likely be able to compel you to disclose this information through the discovery process in a civil lawsuit, and it is also possible that you could be compelled to disclose the information to the authorities if a criminal investigation is begun.
Answered on Oct 01st, 2012 at 6:27 PM