Well known social media blogger Rhoda Bharath has been found in contempt of court.
On Friday, High Court Justice Betsy-Ann Lambert-Peterson ruled that Bharath disobeyed a previous injunctive order that restrained her from re-publishing certain defamatory statements she had made against former police commissioner Gary Griffith.
The former top cop had a lawsuit filed against Bharath for defamation of character based on a post she had published on her “Newsauce” Facebook page on July 18.
On August 2, the judge had directed that Bharath was restrained whether by herself, her servants, agents of by any other means from speaking, publishing or causing to be published on Facebook or any social media platform or any internet webpage or online media and/or electronic and print media house any defamatory words or statements related to one of her earlier posts against Griffith.
Justice Lambert-Peterson had also ordered that the matter come up for hearing on November 20.
But in spite of the court’s order, the following day Bharath went on to publish on her “Newsauce” Facebook page, a breakdown of the court’s directives and went on to mention some of the issues she was not allowed to speak of until at least the next date of hearing.
As a result of that action, Griffith had his attorneys file an application before Justice Lambert-Peterson yesterday morning asking that Bharath be held in contempt.
The application was granted.
The judge also directed that Bharath bear Griffith’s legal costs that is yet to be assessed.