A Pennsylvania divorced dad of two boys has been ruled by a Bucks County judge to close down his blog criticizing his ex-wife and their on-going custody battles. Family Court Judge Diane Gibbons last month ordered Anthony Morelli, 42, to shut down thepsychoexwife.com, a blog he began in 2007, saying, "This is about children. You may say anything you would like to say. You may publish it. You may put it on a billboard. But you will not have your children, because that is abusive."
In response, Morelli has hired an attorney to appeal the ruling, arguing the decision violates his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. "In my view, the judge crossed the legal line, from determining custody to controlling [his] behavior. My client's actions are protected by the First Amendment," attorney Kevin Handy said. Morelli said he started the site not to "bash" his ex-wife, but the inflammatory style is to attract other people with similar problems. He claims about 200,000 people visited the site each month.
His ex-wife, Allison Morelli, says their conflict has been a "very painful process" and that it, coupled with the site, has "put my kids through hell." The two disagree on whether their children have read the site, but Mr. Morelli says he went to great lengths so neither his children nor wife would find it. Observers say Mr. Morelli has a legitimate case, arguing the judge's ruling is very broad and covers all speech about his ex-wife.
Avoid getting into hot waters by blogging about your ex-spouse. Contact a Charlotte divorce and custody attorney at the Law Offices of David P. Sheehan at (704) 332-5858 for a consultation.
