"A judge in Freehold ruled today that a Washington State blogger whoposted comments about the pornography industry is not covered by shieldlaws that protect newspaper reporters and can be sued for defamation.

Acknowledging that he was wading into largely uncharted legalwaters, Superior Court Judge Louis Locascio said Shellee Hale's messageboard postings last year about a Freehold-based computer softwarecompany were nothing more than the rants of "private person withunexplained motives for her postings" and cannot be given the sameprotections as information compiled though the process of newsgathering.

"The rate at which the internet has grown andevolved into a universal source of news and information has left thelegal community in its dust," Locascio wrote in his 19-page opinion."The time has come for the law to begin establishing its place in thisvast abyss."