One police officer, 30 defendants, nearly half a million shekels: The lawsuit factory of police officers against citizens, led by attorney Yoni Gorno, strikes again
Master Sergeant Doron Ozery filed six defamation lawsuits against 30 citizens through attorney Yoni Gorno, over social media comments about his conduct during a protest against the reasonableness standard repeal in July 2023. The Association for Civil Rights submitted an amicus brief arguing the suits are meant to silence critics. The total amount claimed: 474,000 shekels.
Master Sergeant Doron Ozery, a police officer in the Israel Police, filed six defamation lawsuits against 30 citizens through attorney Yoni Gorno, over social media comments about his conduct during a protest against the repeal of the reasonableness standard in July 2023. The total amount claimed from all defendants stands at 474,000 shekels. The Association for Civil Rights submitted an amicus brief in one lawsuit, arguing it is a SLAPP suit and an illegal splitting of proceedings. Four lawsuits have concluded: two in settlements (8,000 and 3,500 shekels), two in default judgments, and one in a verdict in Hadera where a defendant was ordered to pay 50,000 shekels (reduced on appeal to 25,000). Two lawsuits remain open. The article notes that Gorno runs a lawsuit factory against citizens, and that between March 2020 and February 2021, 64 police officers and inspectors sued about 7 million shekels from 210 citizens through him.