Wrangell Sentinel -

First District Court Judge Kevin Miller resolved a civil case that pitted a claim of First Amendment rights on the Internet against a claim of defamation focusing on a local physician late last week.

The case, which was filed by Dr. Greg Salard and his wife, Laura Salard, claimed that former Wrangell resident Lisa Gillen defamed him and his practice via private messages on Facebook last year.

The charges leveled at Gillen revolved around statements allegedly made in an online chat session about the physician, his family, and his ability to practice medicine. The filing sought damages exceeding...