Overview
- On December 24, Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California denied Royel Maddell’s request to subpoena Reddit for user identities.
- The application sought names, email addresses, and phone numbers linked to a now-deleted r/triplej thread alleging he had a sexual relationship with a minor.
- Bressington said he wanted the data to contemplate a defamation case, conditioning any action on the posters being in Australia and stating only that his team was prepared to initiate proceedings.
- In court documents, Alsup noted the filing did not deny the central allegation, while it denied claims of criminal charges, an ex-partner’s accusation, or the band being dropped by a label.
- No legal complaint has been filed in Australia, and the judge characterized the request as overreaching and burdensome, leaving the Redditors’ identities protected.