Nov 24, 2008 3:22 pm US/Pacific
Defense Rests In MySpace Hoax Prosecution
LOS ANGELES (AP) ―
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Lori Drew, a Missouri woman who allegedly perpetrated a MySpace hoax that drove her daughter's 13-year-old classmate to suicide, leaves court Thursday Sept. 4, 2008 in Los Angeles.
AP
The defense in the MySpace hoax trial rested Monday in Los Angeles without calling a Missouri mother to testify on her own behalf and instead relied on her tearful daughter to direct blame elsewhere for an Internet ruse that allegedly led to a teenage girl's suicide.
The case is nearing closing arguments with U.S. District Court Judge George Wu yet to rule on a defense motion for dismissal on grounds that Lori Drew could not be held responsible for violating the service rules of the MySpace social networking site because there is no proof she ever read them. In comments to lawyers, the judge cited a rule under which he may wait until after a verdict to rule on the motion.
Drew has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and accessing computers without authorization.
Prosecutors said that in 2006 Drew orchestrated an effort by her daughter, Sarah, and a business assistant in which the profile of a fictional boy called Josh Evans was created on MySpace to contact neighbor Megan Meier and learn if she was spreading rumors about Sarah.
Megan had been treated for attention deficit disorder and depression. She hanged herself after receiving a message saying the world would be a better place without her.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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