The libel suit that was filed against popular author John Grisham was junked by a federal judge. The lawsuit that was filed against two other writers was linked to the books that they wrote about the wrongful conviction of two men in the 1982 murder. The case against Grisham and the two other authors was filed last year by the former Pontotoc County District Attorney Bill Peterson, the former Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation investigator Gary Rogers and by the state criminalist, Melvin Hett.

According to the three who filed the case, the three writers conspired to commit libel, generate publicity for themselves by effectively placing these plaintiffs in false light and intentionally inflicted emotional stress as well. But the judge that took the case thought otherwise. US District Judge Ronald White rejected the claims that were forwarded in the ruling that was known Wednesday. The two men that were involved in the slaying were later cleared by DNA evidence and the two was then released after 12 years in prison.

The key witness of the prosecution was the one later linked to the crime by virtue of DNA tests. He was then found guilty of the said murder and was then sentenced to life in prison. In the ruling penned by the judge, the judge indicated that it was important to be able to analyze and to criticize as well the judicial system so that past wrongs cannot be duplicated. The judge added that the wrongful convictions of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz should be discussed openly. John Grisham wrote a book about the case and the book was titled ‘The Innocent Man’. The attorney of Peterson, Rogers and Hett is still reading the decision to determine if he will still file an appeal. In 2006, George Clooney announced that he would produce a movie based on the book by Grisham.

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