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DEPOSITION OF MICHAEL W. FRANELL

AMERICAN BUDDHA STRIKES ITS OWN BLOW FOR INTERNET FREE SPEECH IN KATHLEEN PARKER DUST-UP (AMERICAN BUDDHA VS. CITY OF ASHLAND, OREGON)

See PDF here

                     IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

                                  DISTRICT OF OREGON

                                       ---o0o---



             AMERICAN BUDDHA, an Oregon
             Nonprofit corporation,

                            Plaintiff,

             vs.                                  NO. 06-CV-3054-PA

             THE CITY OF ASHLAND and THE
             WASHINGTON POST COMPANY,

                            Defendants.

             _________________________________/



                                       ---o0o---

                           DEPOSITION OF MICHAEL W. FRANELL

                               FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2006

                                      12:30 P.M.

                                       ---o0o---


                  LAURA L. SMITH, RPR, OR CSR #97-0340, CA CSR #273


                        Certified Court and Deposition Reporter
                            2305-C Ashland Street, PMB 228
                                 Ashland, Oregon 97520

                                    (541) 488-4677



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         1                            APPEARANCES

         2

         3   For the Plaintiff:

         4
             BY:  CHARLES CARREON, Attorney at Law
         5   423 Gateway Drive, #64
             Pacifica, California 94044
         6   650-735-5277

         7

         8   For the Defendant City of Ashland:

         9   HOFFMAN HART WAGNER, LLP
             BY:  KAREN O'KASEY, Attorney at Law
        10   1000 S.W. Broadway, 20th Floor
             Portland, Oregon 97205-3070
        11   503-595-1242

        12

        13   For the Defendant (via telephone):  The Washington
               Post Company:
        14
             WILLIAMS & CONNOLLY
        15   BY:  KEVIN HARDY, Attorney at Law
             725 12th Street, N.W.
        16   Washington, D.C., 20005
             202-434-5257
        17

        18
             Also present:       Mrs. Tara Carreon
        19

        20

        21                             ---o0o---

        22

        23

        24

        25



                    *** Laura L. Smith, CSR, RPR   541.488.4677 ***


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         1                             I N D E X

         2                                                          Page

         3   Examination by Mr. Carreon                               4

         4   Reporter's Certificate                                   9

         5

         6

         7                             EXHIBITS

         8                         (Nothing marked.)

         9

        10

        11

        12                             ---o0o---

        13

        14

        15

        16

        17

        18

        19

        20

        21

        22

        23

        24

        25



                    *** Laura L. Smith, CSR, RPR   541.488.4677 ***


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         1         BE IT REMEMBERED, that on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2006,

         2    commencing at the hour of 12:30 P.M., at the office of the

         3      City of Ashland Legal Department, 20 East Main Street,

         4      Ashland, Oregon, before me, LAURA L. SMITH, a Certified

         5      Shorthand Reporter in and for the states of Oregon and

         6              California, there personally appeared:

         7                        MICHAEL W. FRANELL,

         8       a witness in the above-entitled action, called by the

         9    plaintiff, who, being by me first duly sworn, was examined

        10                     and testified as follows:

        11                    EXAMINATION BY MR. CARREON

        12            MR. CARREON:  Perhaps we could go off the record

        13   briefly and discuss the ground rules for what we are doing

        14   here, because I don't want to spend all day.

        15           MS. O'KASEY:  Sure.

        16           (Conversation held off the record.)

        17           MR. CARREON:  Back on the record.

        18            Mr. Franell is the city attorney for the city of

        19   Ashland, and as such, I have agreed with Ms. O'Kasey that

        20   she will articulate a single objection on the record at this

        21   time which she may interpose by saying, "same objection,"

        22   with respect to any questions which she finds subject to

        23   privilege.

        24           MS. O'KASEY:  The basis for the objection is that

        25   because Mr. Franell is the city attorney, there may be,



                    *** Laura L. Smith, CSR, RPR   541.488.4677 ***


                                                                         5


         1   during the course of this deposition, questions that will

         2   require an answer that would invade the attorney-client

         3   privilege, so when such a question is asked, I will

         4   basically make the same objection and I'll refer to it as my

         5   earlier objection based on privilege.

         6           MR. CARREON:  All righty.

         7   Q        Mr. Franell, the documents that we have been

         8   discussing with the other witnesses here today that I'd like

         9   to address with you are, first of all, Exhibit 2, which

        10   appears to be an e-mail from Kathleen Parker to

        11   abuse@ashlandfiber.net, and I'd ask you, was that document

        12   forwarded to you by Mr. Holbo, as he was uncertain?

        13   A        Yes.

        14   Q        Did you have any telephone conversations or e-mail

        15   exchanges with Mr. Holbo about Exhibit 2?

        16   A        Yes.

        17   Q        And were his decisions, as he expressed them here

        18   at deposition, with regard to what the City of Ashland would

        19   do with Exhibit 2, were those, say, in the course and scope

        20   of his employment?

        21            He wasn't on a lark and a frolic?  He did what he

        22   was supposed to do?

        23   A        Yes.

        24   Q        Did you have any conversations with anyone from the

        25   Washington Post?



                    *** Laura L. Smith, CSR, RPR   541.488.4677 ***


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         1   A        No.

         2   Q        Did you have any conversations with Ms. Kathleen

         3   Parker?

         4   A        No.

         5   Q        Mr. Parker?

         6   A        No.

         7   Q        Jon Dowd?

         8   A        No.

         9   Q        Anyone at InfoStructure?

        10   A        No.

        11   Q        Mr. Joe Franell?

        12            Maybe I should clarify it as to time.

        13   A        Yes.

        14   Q        Before the decision was made by Mr. Holbo and

        15   Mr. Dowd to turn off the modem that was servicing --

        16   A        No.

        17   Q        -- American-Buddha.net?

        18   Q        With regard to Exhibit 1, the AFN copyright

        19   infringement process, would you confirm what Mr. Holbo said,

        20   that he prepared that without your input?

        21   A        Yes.

        22   Q        Is a formal DMCA policy under consideration or in

        23   preparation at this time?

        24   A        I have received a request to assist AFN in

        25   developing a policy.



                    *** Laura L. Smith, CSR, RPR   541.488.4677 ***


                                                                         7


         1   Q        And so when that -- when that is done, will it be

         2   posted on the web site to inform people about that?

         3   A        I am not sure how I will inform them about that.

         4   Q        And do you expect that that policy will be

         5   formulated within, say, the next month?

         6   A        I anticipate that it would be formulated within the

         7   next month.

         8   Q        And I take it you would have no problem having

         9   Ms. O'Kasey forward a copy of that to me when it is

        10   prepared?

        11   A        Not at all.

        12   Q        Okay.  Are there any written communications that

        13   have been generated by AFN concerning this matter that are

        14   not before us here as Exhibit 1, 2, 3, or 5?

        15   A        There are written communications between Mr. Holbo

        16   and myself.

        17   Q        And were those -- if we were to date those written

        18   communications, would they be August 1st, August 2nd, or

        19   thereafter?

        20   A        There was some on August 2nd and there are some

        21   thereafter.

        22   Q        All right.  And you have -- it's -- those

        23   communications contained legal advice from you to Mr. Holbo,

        24   as an AFN employee --

        25   A        Yes.



                    *** Laura L. Smith, CSR, RPR   541.488.4677 ***


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         1   Q        -- for the City of Ashland?

         2           Were those communications, at any time, was the

         3   substance of them disclosed to any person who was not a

         4   party to that advice?

         5   A        No.

         6   Q        We can take a brief break here.  My client -- I

         7   have got to know where she is.

         8            (Recess in proceedings.)

         9                             ---o0o---

        10           MR. CARREON:  I think I'm done.

        11           MS. O'KASEY:  Kevin, do you have any questions?

        12           MR. HARDY:  No, I don't.

        13           MR. CARREON:  Back on the record, no questions from

        14   counsel.

        15           MS. O'KASEY:  I have no questions.

        16           MR. CARREON:  We may adjourn.

        17           MS. O'KASEY:  Thank you.

        18           THE WITNESS:  Thank you.

        19           (Deposition concluded at 12:29 p.m.)

        20                             ---o0o---

        21

        22

        23

        24

        25



                    *** Laura L. Smith, CSR, RPR   541.488.4677 ***


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         1                    REPORTER'S CERTIFICATE

         2   STATE OF OREGON      )
                                  )   ss.
         3   COUNTY OF JACKSON    )

         4           I, LAURA L. SMITH, a Certified Shorthand Reporter

         5   and Notary Public for the State of Oregon, do hereby

         6   certify:

         7           That the witness, MICHAEL W. FRANELL, was present at

         8   the time and place herein set forth and was by me sworn to

         9   testify as to the truth;

        10           That the said proceedings were recorded

        11   stenographically by me and were thereafter transcribed under

        12   my direction via computer-assisted transcription;

        13           That the foregoing transcript is a true record of

        14   the proceedings which then and there took place;

        15           That I am a disinterested person to said action.

        16           IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have affixed my seal and

        17   subscribed my name on January 11, 2007.

        18

        19

        20

        21

        22

        23           ______________________________
                     LAURA L. SMITH, Notary Public
        24           CSR NO. 97-0340

        25


                  *** Laura L. Smith, CSR, RPR   541.488.4677 ***                 

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