Tech executive files $25m lawsuit against journalist who revealed shocking secret arrest report

A wealthy tech entrepreneur is suing an independent journalist who published his shocking domestic violence apprehension report.

On September 14, 2023, nan Executive Director of tech accountability nonprofit Tech Inquiry, Jack Poulson, posted an article connected Substack that revealed Premise Data's then-CEO Maury Blackman was arrested for home violence.

According to nan report, constabulary were called to a San Francisco flat connected December 21, 2021, and arrested Blackman erstwhile they discovered his 25-year-old woman pinch mini cuts to her look and swelling connected her near oculus aft she told constabulary he had 'just started beating me.'

Blackman was ne'er charged pinch a crime for nan incident and constabulary sealed nan apprehension reported successful 2022, which makes it forbidden to people nether California law, according nan San Francisco Chronicle.

The outlet reported nan tech executive is seeking $25 cardinal successful damages aft filing a suit against Poulson and Substack for negligence, penetration of privateness and defamation complete nan publication.

Blackman's attorneys said that nan apprehension study was sealed by a tribunal bid that a judge said was 'deemed not to person occurred.'

They reason that nan apprehension did not interest matters of public significance and is individual successful nature, concerning only backstage individuals' backstage lives.

The suit cites California penal codification that states disseminating accusation from a sealed apprehension is taxable to a civilian punishment and group who are not authorized to stock that accusation are blameworthy of a misdemeanor.

'[Blackman] has suffered terrible harm,' nan suit said. 'Among different things, [Blackman's] employment ended connected December 10, 2023; [his] estimation amongst his friends, family and business associates has been everlastingly altered.

'[Blackman] has suffered terrible affectional distress; [he] has been incapable to find consequent employment, resulting successful important mislaid employment compensation and benefits; and [he] has been forced to walk money to cure this business that will haunt him nan remainder of his life.'

However, Blackman's LinkedIn relationship shows that he is presently serving arsenic an advisor and committee personnel for respective companies.

Court documents authorities that nan City and County of San Francisco, Office of the City Attorney sent a missive to Substack connected September 19 advising them to return nan study down.

'The Incident Report was antecedently sealed by tribunal order... Pursuant to 11 California Penal Code conception 851.92(c) and your ain 'Acceptable Use Policy,' we expect that you will instantly region nan Incident Report and its contents from your website and guarantee that nan scale to postings nary longer allows for nan Incident Report to beryllium viewed aliases downloaded,' nan suit said.

Poulson's article pinch a redacted transcript of nan apprehension study stay disposable connected Substack. 

DailyMail.com has contacted Blackman's attorneys, Poulson and Substack for comment. 

A First Amendment lawyer told The Chronicle that laws punishing journalists for publishing accusation they obtained legally are unconstitutional.

'Journalists are entitled to people documents that they lawfully obtained, specifically authorities documents,' said Seth Stern, defense head for nan nonprofit Freedom of nan Press Foundation and erstwhile chair of nan American Bar Association's Media, Privacy and Advocacy Law Committee.

'Unless nan metropolis wants to return nan position that a sealed apprehension study is much delicate than nationalist information aliases (identifying) victims of unspeakable crimes, I don’t deliberation they are successful bully standing.'