Former Stanford scholar King Vanga killed Pamela and Joe Juarez in a automobile crash again in 2021. That’s an undisputed truth. When the Juarez household advised the college about the entire “killing two individuals” factor, nevertheless, Vanga sued for defamation, claiming they couldn’t name him a assassin as a result of he had solely been charged with vehicular manslaughter. Because the Stanford Day by day experiences, although, in an precise victory without spending a dime speech protections, Vanga misplaced his lawsuit towards Priscilla Juarez late final month.
King Vanga, who killed Pamela and Joe Juarez along with his automobile, initially claimed a letter the Juarez household despatched Stanford was defamatory as a result of in it, they referred to as him a assassin, claimed he was underneath the affect on the time of the crash and asserted that he’d violated the Stanford Code of Conduct. Vanga denied all of these claims. The courtroom disagreed, saying the homicide and code of conduct claims have been opinions and thought of protected speech underneath the First Modification. The courtroom additionally dominated that Juarez had purpose to consider Vanga was underneath the affect on the time of the crash because it had been reported within the native information regardless of Vanga’s declare on the contrary:
On June 25, 2021, Vanga was concerned in a automobile accident in Atwater, California, which resulted within the deaths of Jose and Pamela Juarez. Vanga was charged with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter whereas intoxicated, resisting an govt officer, trying to take a peace officer’s firearm and battery upon a peace officer. Vanga pleaded not responsible to those fees.
Vanga allegedly declined a breathalyzer take a look at on the scene, in accordance with the legislation enforcement officer who responded to the accident. Nonetheless, the officer claimed that Vanga was underneath the affect. Based on the police report, the officer “detected a powerful odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from [Vanga’s] breath and particular person and noticed his eyes have been crimson.”
The media tales that circulated within the subsequent days additionally said Vanga had been underneath the affect of both medicine, alcohol or each, as per legislation enforcement experiences quoted inside the case.
This prompted Priscilla Juarez and a number of different members of the family to jot down emails and letters to Stanford. In her e-mail, she wrote she hoped the College would “take correct motion in dismissing this man as an lively scholar of [the] morally prestigious establishment.”
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In December 2021, Vanga threatened to sue Atwater police and California Freeway Patrol for alleged mistreatment and false accusation of a DUI. Vanga alleged he was punched, kicked and tased twice by responding officers. In the meantime, blood samples from the evening of the accident confirmed no presence of medication or alcohol.
Lawyer Ken “Popehat” White represented Juarez within the swimsuit, submitting an anti-SLAPP movement to have it dismissed on the grounds that the swimsuit violated his shopper’s First Modification rights. SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuit Towards Public Participation and customarily refers to lawsuits filed on questionable grounds with the intent to stifle free speech. Anti-SLAPP statutes permit defendants to have these lawsuits dismissed if the movement is granted and likewise get well any legal professional’s charges.
“There’s a development the place wealthy individuals assume that the poor ought to solely have as a lot free speech as they will afford. And that to me, [that’s] what this case was about, and that’s why I’m glad we’ve a instrument just like the anti-SLAPP statute,” White advised the Day by day.
Sadly for the Juarezes, Vanga additionally filed defamation fits towards different members of the family and people nonetheless haven’t been in entrance of a choose. However whereas nothing is assured, it appears like White believes there’s a very good likelihood they’ll see related outcomes, telling the Day by day, “Each case is a bit of totally different as a result of each case is predicated on what that defendant stated of their letter [to Stanford]. However for my part, [Priscilla Juarez’s family members] ought to be very optimistic primarily based on this consequence.”
As we talked about when we first reported on this lawsuit, nobody compelled Vanga to sue the Juarez household. He may have merely let this complete factor go and centered on getting ready for his possible conviction. The implications of killing two individuals aren’t often pleasurable, however odds are, he most likely would have remained largely unknown exterior of the Bay Space. As an alternative, he had the audacity to sue the household of the individuals he killed along with his automobile, and in doing so, drew the eye of nationwide media. In consequence, way more individuals know King Vanga killed Pamela and Joe Juarez along with his automobile in 2021.
It isn’t clear when King Vanga’s felony trial will start, however hopefully, it doesn’t take an excessive amount of longer. He deserves to face the implications for what he did, whether or not he was underneath the affect on the time of the crash or not.
