McAlester Blog Battle Moves To Kay County

By Susan Hylton/Tulsa World ~ The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office has appointed the Kay County District Attorney's Office to handle a Pittsburg County case in which its district attorney accuses a Web site operator of libel.

Pittsburg County District Attorney Jim Bob Miller recused himself from the case after making a complaint with the McAlester Police Department against the Watercooler Web site's operator, Harold King.

Some of the comments have accused Miller of being involved in drug-dealing and other corruption and criticized his prosecutorial decisions.

Kay County, which borders Kansas, and its county seat, Newkirk, are far from Pittsburg County, in southeastern Oklahoma. Kay County District Attorney Mark Gibson said he knows nothing about the case and that more than likely he would be handling it personally. "I've been to McAlester twice in my life," he said.

Gibson also will look at complaints filed by Wayne Stipe and his mother, Billie Jean Stipe, the widow of businessman Francis Stipe, who accuse King of slander and "imputing unchastity to females."

A recent blog post on the site suggested that Francis Stipe's brother, former state Sen. Gene Stipe, actually fathered Wayne Stipe.

Gibson also will consider whether to file assault charges against Wayne Stipe for allegedly punching King in the mouth outside a McAlester grocery store Aug. 9.

King filed a complaint against Miller for allegedly filing a false instrument in connection with a subpoena he received demanding that he provide police with the identities of 35 posters on the Web site. King said Miller's subpoena was invalid because no issuing authority was identified in the paperwork.

King also filed a complaint against Wayne Stipe and Billie Jean Stipe for allegedly filing a false police report. Richard Hull, the first assistant district attorney for Pittsburg County, considers King's complaints to be retaliatory, according to a letter he signed to the attorney general asking that Miller be removed from the case.

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McAlester Blog Wars Erupt Again

From The Tulsa World ~ Two men who post on a Web forum that is accused of libeling the Pittsburg County district attorney have filed their own complaint with the U.S. Attorney's Office against a blog that they believe is guilty of cyber stalking.

The anonymous operator of www.realmcalester.blogspot.com describes it as a satiric blog that makes fun of the McAlester Watercooler, www.mccooler.net, which has been highly critical of former state Sen. Gene Stipe and, recently, District Attorney Jim Bob Miller, who filed a libel complaint with the McAlester police last week.

The blog uses imagery and obviously superimposed photographs of Harold King, the operator of the Watercooler, and Chris Clark, who posts on the Watercooler under the name "Mr. Busby."

Read the entire story at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectID=12&articleID=20080819_12_A7_hTheyh220091.

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Subpoena Served On Forum Operator As McAlester DA Seeks Identities Of Anonymous Posters

By Tony Thornton/The Oklahoman ~ An online message board operator said Tuesday he won't comply with a subpoena ordering him to supply identities of people who issued critical posts about McAlester officials.

Harold King said two McAlester police detectives delivered the subpoena to him Tuesday.
The subpoena orders him to provide details by Saturday on 35 bloggers posting under pseudonyms on King's site, http://www.mccooler.net/.

He said he researched posts under those pseudonyms and found one common denominator: All had written critically about Pittsburg County District Attorney Jim Miller (pictured).

Miller said by telephone: "I can't comment on any investigation, and whether one's going on or not.”

The subpoena doesn't say who issued it. A legal expert contacted by The Oklahoman said only two authorities — a prosecutor and a judge — can issue a subpoena in a criminal matter.

His subpoena is the most recent of King's troubles traced to his Web site. The site focuses on McAlester politics — particularly matters related to former state Sen. Gene Stipe.

In December 2005, King filed a police report claiming Stipe assaulted him. Stipe and his brother Francis filed a stalking complaint, accusing King of harassing them. Gene Stipe also obtained a protective order against King and accused him of libel.

Last weekend, King filed a police report accusing Francis Stipe's son, Wayne, of punching him in the face at a local grocery store.

Miller wouldn't say whether he plans to file assault charges.

An advocate of open government said he's concerned the subpoena could have "a chilling effect.”

"It just smacks of trying to chill criticism,” said Joey Senat, past president of FOI Oklahoma Inc. and associate professor of journalism at Oklahoma State University.
"We have a right to speak anonymously, especially about political matters,” Senat said.

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Francis Stipe's Son, McAlester Watercooler Operator Harold King Involved In 'Altercation'

The crusading operator of the McAlester Watercooler web site and the son of the late Francis Stipe were involved in an "altercation" in McAlester on Saturday, it's reported today.

The incident is being investigated by McAlester police.

McAlester Police Capt. Don Hass said the incident involving Wayne Stipe and Harold King took place outside a local grocery store. An incident report on the case said it is being investigated as an assault and battery.

Police said Stipe and King, who operates the McAlester Watercooler that has been critical of the late Francis Stipe and his brother, Gene Stipe, both went to a McAlester hospital after the incident. Hass said King had a bloody lip and Stipe had a hand injury.

No arrests had been made in the case as of Monday morning.

Hass said a copy of the report would be turned over to the office of District Attorney Jim Bob Miller.

"It happened outside the store and there are different stories as to what happened," Hass said.

In a post on the site, King said Stipe accosted him outside the store after a brief, non-confrontational encounter inside the store. King writes that Stipe followed him out, "mumbled something" and then hit him in the face, after which Stipe got into his car and drove off.

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