It was late February when G-Raver, The Indy Connection and his attorney Max Petrunya filed a “motion to dismiss” the federal lawsuit filed by Jim Cornette regarding the “Fuck Jim Cornette” tee shirt that Raver released on The IC website. That motion to dismiss has been denied and the litigation will continue forth.
WrestleZone’s Dominic DeAngelo received the 31-page document via Cornette’s attorney, Stephen P. New, and it goes into full blown detail regarding the arguments made by both parties. A major point for G-Raver’s claim being denied is because a great deal of Petrunya and Raver’s argument relies heavily on the basis that their claimed parody of Cornette on the original design is protected under the articles of The First Amendment and at this juncture, it would be premature to have a dismissal. The United States Court For The Western District Of Pennsylvania made points substantiating their reason for denial in the document and a hearing is scheduled for May 27.
DeAngelo received the following statement from Attorney New regarding The Court’s decision.
“We are pleased with the Judge’s ruling,” stated New. “We look forward to our hearing on May 27th, provided it can go forward, and we look forward to litigating this case to the fullest.”
G-Raver’s attorney Petrunya, who is also a professional wrestler under the name of “The Gavel” David Lawless, had the following to say about the decision, stating the following:
“I’m not surprised by the decision by the Court. It doesn’t change any of the arguments about the shirt and it’s First Amendment protection. The Order simply stands for the proposition that discovery will need to be conducted for the Court to reach a decision. The Court even states in the document that it is not addressing the validity of the First Amendment defenses. Rather the Court states it is premature to invoke a dismissal at this time.”
It should be noted that The Court did grant Shopify, the e-commerce website in which The Indy Connection operates under, their motion to dismiss.
WrestleZone will be sure to keep you updated as this story develops, but in the meantime, give a listen to our exclusive interviews with both Attorney Petrunya and Attorney New regarding the case.
G-Raver’s Side: The Case Of ‘Persona vs. Person’: Pro Wrestler & Attorney Max Petrunya Defends G-Raver In The Jim Cornette Case (Exclusive)
Cornette’s Side: The Other Side Of ‘Person vs. Persona’: Attorney Stephen P. New Makes The Case For Jim Cornette
