A judge today took under submission a motion by James Woods’ lawyers to depose a Twitter user to determine his identity and learn what basis he has for alleging that the actor is a cocaine addict.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana heard arguments on the motion, then said he wanted to ponder the issues further. He did not say when he would rule.
Woods maintains that the anonymous Twitter’s July 15 post on the social media site, alleging that the actor uses cocaine and is a sex offender, is false and has hurt his reputation, built during a 45-year Hollywood career.
Woods filed suit on July 29 against the Twitter user, who is referred to the actor’s court papers as both “AL” and “John Doe.”
The suit also maintains that on Aug. 18, another anonymous Twitter posting under the name T.G. Emerson called Woods a “notorious coke fiend and a registered sex offender.”
Attorneys for AL have filed a motion to dismiss the case against their client on free-speech grounds and say that protecting his anonymous identity also presents First Amendment issues.
But the actor’s lawyers say they are entitled to take AL’s deposition to aid them in defeating the dismissal motion. They also want permission from the judge to subpoena Twitter to obtain TG’s identity and add him or her as a defendant.
Woods says he has never spoken with AL or TG and that no media organization has accused him of the same or similar wrongdoing.
The 68-year-old actor’s film credits include “Nixon,” “Salvador,” “Casino,” “Once Upon a Time in America” and “The Onion Field.”
