BUILDER DROPS TREE-PROTESTER LAWSUIT.Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - John Quigley John B. Quigley is a professor of law at the Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University, where he is the Presidents' Club Professor of Law. In 1995 he was recipient of The Ohio State University Distinguished Scholar Award. , who made the Valley oak known as Old Glory famous last year when he camped in its branches for 70 days, was vindicated Tuesday when the developer suing him for trespassing and libel libel 1) n. to publish in print (including pictures), writing or broadcast through radio, television or film, an untruth about another which will do harm to that person or his/her reputation, by tending to bring the target into ridicule, hatred, scorn or contempt of dropped the lawsuit. John Laing For John Laing, the 15th century bishop of Glasgow, see John Laing (bishop) John Laing plc is a British developer and operator of privately financed, public sector infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, hospitals and schools through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Homes Regional President Bill Ratazzi said the lawsuit against Quigley was disrupting efforts to move the ancient oak tree, which will be trucked a quarter-mile and replanted in a park in order to make room for the expansion of Pico Canyon Road. ``It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a for us to focus on what's most important, and that's working together to save the oak tree,'' said Ratazzi, who dropped the suit against Quigley without asking for any concessions. ``Over the 13 months that I've known John, I've seen that he's truly committed to saving the tree - he doesn't have a hidden agenda.'' Quigley said he was surprised and pleased with Ratazzi's decision. ``I have to claim some victory on this because it shows that you can still stand up for what you believe in and prevail,'' he said. ``This was an attempt to get me to back down, and it failed.'' John Laing Homes filed suit against Quigley and the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment after Quigley climbed into the oak in November 2002 to protest its destruction. The developer claimed that SCOPE and Quigley had libeled the company and illegally trespassed onto the company's property. The case against SCOPE is still active. Quigley believes that Ratazzi and other Laing officials, who once planned to cut down the centuries-old oak tree, have undergone a sincere change of heart about environmentalism environmentalism, movement to protect the quality and continuity of life through conservation of natural resources, prevention of pollution, and control of land use. . ``There has been an evolution in their thinking about the situation and about the tree,'' Quigley said. ``I think what this whole situation has done for a lot of people has awakened a·wak·en tr. & intr.v. a·wak·ened, a·wak·en·ing, a·wak·ens To awake; waken. See Usage Note at wake1. [Middle English awakenen, from Old English their feelings for how important trees and nature are to us as human beings.'' Nicholas Grudin, (661) 257-5255 nicholas.grudin(at)dailynews.com |
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