San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob writes today that "I was sued by the owner of the Los Angeles Times for speaking my mind about the business practices of one his companies, ironic because people involved in journalism are usually fierce defenders of free speech." Her op-ed piece about it was rejected by the Times, her aide says, and is posted today at the Voice of San Diego. It begins:

Sam Zell’s Manufactured Home Communities -- now operating under the name Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. -- owns and operates more than 300 mobile home parks in 28 states, including four parks in the district I represent.

At first, it was difficult to take Zell or his lawsuit seriously. There’s something amusing about being sued for defamation by an individual who calls himself the “grave dancer.”

Indeed, a U.S. District Court judge determined the suit had no merit and bounced it out of court.

Later, however, when Zell’s lawyers appealed the case to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, I came to suspect that MHC’s lawsuit wasn’t really about my negative remarks.

Today, weeks after the appeals court dismissed all but a small piece of the case against me, I am convinced that Zell is using our judicial system to bully me and intimidate those who dare question how MHC treats its customers.

Here's a related story from March at the SD Union-Tribune. By the way, Voice of San Diego is a good working model for the future of local news: an independent non-profit founded by journalists and community leaders.