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In a decision that surprised attorneys for both sides, the state Supreme Court on Monday reinstated Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson's lawsuit against a Granada Hills landfill operator and a political consultant, who Bernson contends leaked false information about his travel expenses.
The justices ruled 4 to 2 that the usual one-year time limit for filing libel lawsuits can be extended when defendants accused of disseminating allegedly defamatory material intentionally conceal their identities.
Writing for the majority, Justice Arman Arabian waxed poetic, borrowing from Shakespeare:
"Stolen property may be replaced or recovered but where does one go to restore one's reputation? In the imortal words of Shakespeare's Iago: `Who steals my purse steals trash. 'Twas mine, and 'tis his and has been slave to thousands; but he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him and makes me poor indeed."
The court ruled that when a defendant "intentionally cloaked its identity, factors of fairness and unjust enrichment come into play," and that "equity and good conscience" dictate that the statute of limitations be lifted in such libel cases.
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