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SDNY COURTHOUSE, April 5 – Suing for defamation and some say censorship in U.S. Federal Court is a Venezuelan self-described human rights activist affiliated with the United Nations. 

 On November 25 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger held a proceeding. Inner City Press covered it. 

   Maria Herminia Graterol-Garrido back in June sued Patricia Maria Vega in the SDNY, alleging that Vega "has engaged in a deliberate attempt to destroy Plaintiff's professional reputation as part of a scheme to extort money from Plaintiff's husband, who fathered a child with Defendant through a one-time sexual encounter." 

  There was a settlement conference, and then Graterol asked Judge Lehrburger to make Vega take down a Facebook post they say is based on a confidential settlement session, see below.

 On February 25 Judge John P. Cronan held a proceeding, which Inner City Press also covered. Afterward he ordered that the bench "trial will commence on May 3, 2021 via video. The Court will provide further guidance, including a time and a link to the video conference, closer to that date. Plaintiff's pretrial submissions are due April 2, 2021. On that date, Plaintiff shall provide the Court with a Pretrial Statement."

 Now in April, a month before trial, the defendant has filed a "statement of facts" that recounts defendant's "one time sexual encounter" and then embeds her Tweets, with the reply "You reported this Tweet." What was the tweet she tried to censor? "Austalian citizens @peterikladious and Maria H. Graterol schemed [t]o disinherit and defraud a child. Fraudulent transfer to evade paying legal child support." What was so actionable? Yet it seems the Tweet is gone...

  At times in the SDNY it is unclear where the confidentiality begins, and where it ends. The letter urging Judge Lehrburger to act against Vega made the public Facebook page a sealed exhibit.

On January 6, this: "The time for Defendant to reply as per this Court's December 22, 2020 Order (Dkt. 35) having expired, and for substantially the reasons set forth in Plaintiff's memorandum(Dkt. 34), Defendant's "Emergency Motion for the Court to Exercise Supplemental Jurisdiction" (Dkt. 27) is DENIED. The Court does not have the jurisdiction or authority to grant the relief requested. Defendant's request for an extension of discovery (Dkt. 32) is also DENIED. (Signed by Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger on 1/6/2021) Copies transmitted this date to all counsel of record and Defendant pro se via ECF."

    Since the Facebook post is public, here's from it:

"My son's father has not uttered a word of testimony in years. He sits silently as his unethical attorney lies for him and the MAGISTRATES who are required to verify evidence from credible sources accept her uncorroborated lies even when I dispute their veracity.  He has never even been asked to disclose  his tax identity by a single hearing officer.  My son’s stepmother has profited from evasion of obligations to support a child. The alleged facts of her financial dependence was one of the many false allegations used by lawyers to influence the UCS to deviate from the law. 

 "Maria Herminia Graterol Garrido knows that my son is legally fatherless.  No legal Order of Support can exist against a parent until their 'Ability to Pay' has been investigated  No Court has been permitted to ratify stipulations of support for Children born out of wedlock since 2009.  A stipulation of support for my son CANNOT legally be ratified by any court in the United States and An Order of Support for my son cannot exist without an investigation by the State and trial before a judge competent to intervene to protect the child’s best interests....

 "Confidential Child Support hearings and Family offense proceedings before magistrates who do not verify facts is a cash cow for unethical lawyers to create revenue streams that last for decades.  I am grateful to have decided to get an MBA and not a law degree. I am grateful to have obscure expertise in systemic failure in complex organizations. I am grateful that I still see light at the end of the tunnel and that it does get a tiny bit brighter every day." 

 Graterol for example signed on to a letter as representing UNIFEM / UN Women.  The follow up hearing on whether to hold Vega in contempt was re-set for December 2, and Inner City Press again covered it.

 Ms. Vega said she had taken the post down on November 30, even though, she said, she shouldn't have to. This drew resistance, and a stern warning to not do it again. It was acknowledged, however, that anything that is public can be published, and republished.

On December 9, Graterol's lawyer filed into the docket an email from Vega on her efforts to track down for DNA testing Peter Ikladious; Graterol's lawyer's part of the exchange was "January 7 is the deadline in the Case Management Plan. We do not consent to extending it." Vega on December 11 requested just that.

The case is Graterol-Garrido v. Vega, 20-cv-4209 (Cronan / Lehrburger)

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