Zieper v. Metzinger
Encyclopedia
Zieper v. Metzinger was a case brought before the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
in which filmmaker Michael Zieper sued several officials of the Department of Justice
. It was found that the actions of several Federal Bureau of Investigation
agents and a United States Attorney
may have violated the First Amendment
rights of Zieper and others. The case was ultimately dismissed by the judge.
At issue in the case was a film, Military Takeover in New York City, a work of fiction concerning the events of the upcoming New Year's Eve 1999. Produced by Michael Zieper of West Caldwell, New Jersey
, the film was posted on the Internet at CrowdedTheater.com. The film was similar in its fictional portrayal of supposedly real events to The War of the Worlds
and The Blair Witch Project
.
A segment about the film was broadcast on New York television station UPN
9 on November 10, 1999; that night, West Caldwell police and FBI agents went to Zieper's home, although he was not arrested. Agent Joe Metzinger of the FBI, one of the defendants named in the case, was involved in the investigation of Military Takeover in New York City.
There were five co-defendants, including Metzinger. The others were: Attorney General
Janet Reno
; FBI Director Louis Freeh
; Mary Jo White
, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York; and Lisa Korologos, assistant U.S. Attorney.
The American Civil Liberties Union
assisted the plaintiff.
The case was dismissed on grounds of qualified immunity
.
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of New Jersey....
in which filmmaker Michael Zieper sued several officials of the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. It was found that the actions of several Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
agents and a United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
may have violated the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
rights of Zieper and others. The case was ultimately dismissed by the judge.
At issue in the case was a film, Military Takeover in New York City, a work of fiction concerning the events of the upcoming New Year's Eve 1999. Produced by Michael Zieper of West Caldwell, New Jersey
West Caldwell, New Jersey
West Caldwell is an township located in the West Essex area in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey. It is located approximately west of Manhattan and six miles northwest of Newark...
, the film was posted on the Internet at CrowdedTheater.com. The film was similar in its fictional portrayal of supposedly real events to The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds (radio)
The War of the Worlds was an episode of the American radio drama anthology series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938, and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. Directed and narrated by actor and future filmmaker...
and The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur footage. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company. The film relates the story of three student filmmakers The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur...
.
A segment about the film was broadcast on New York television station UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
9 on November 10, 1999; that night, West Caldwell police and FBI agents went to Zieper's home, although he was not arrested. Agent Joe Metzinger of the FBI, one of the defendants named in the case, was involved in the investigation of Military Takeover in New York City.
There were five co-defendants, including Metzinger. The others were: Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
Janet Reno
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
; FBI Director Louis Freeh
Louis Freeh
Louis Joseph Freeh was the 5th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, serving from September 1993 to June 2001....
; Mary Jo White
Mary Jo White
Mary Jo White was the first woman to be U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, serving from 1993 to 2002.White was born in Kansas City, Missouri and grew up in McLean, Virginia. She received her B.S...
, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York; and Lisa Korologos, assistant U.S. Attorney.
The American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
assisted the plaintiff.
The case was dismissed on grounds of qualified immunity
Qualified immunity
Qualified immunity is a doctrine in U.S. federal law that arises in cases brought against state officials under 42 U.S.C Section 1983 and against federal officials under Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents, 403 U.S. 388 . Qualified immunity shields government officials from liability for the...
.