Schnitt-Bubba Case: 5 Counts Dismissed, Case Continues, Randy Michaels Testifies

Randy Michaels Testifies

After FRIDAY's controversy at the TODD SCHNITT-BUBBA THE LOVE SPONGE case (NET NEWS 1/25), MONDAY's resumption of testimony included dismissal of five defamation counts against BUBBA, a denial of a motion by BUBBA's attorneys for a mistrial and testimony by both parties' former boss, former JACOR/CLEAR CHANNEL chief RANDY MICHAELS, as well as former "MJ AND BJ MORNING SHOW" and "MJ MORNING SHOW" producer and current BUBBA Exec. Producer ANDREW EDEN (known on air as HURRICANE STEVENS).

MICHAELS testified on BUBBA's behalf, stressing that the now-COX MEDIA GROUP Talk WHPT (102.5 THE BONE)/TAMPA morning host's on-air tirades against SCHNITT (a.k.a. former CLEAR CHANNEL Top 40 WFLZ/TAMPA morning host MJ KELLI) were hyperbole that his fans would not take seriously.  He said he had asked the hosts to tone down their on-air war because it had become a distraction, and drew a parallel between BUBBA's call for a "funeral in the streets" for SCHNITT and HOWARD STERN's earlier mock funeral when he defeated then-WMMR/PHILADELPHIA morning man JOHN DEBELLA in the ratings, which he said inspired BUBBA's comment.

The TAMPA TRIBUNE reports that after the testimony, SCHNITT's attorneys rested their case and Judge JAMES D. ARNOLD rejected BUBBA's attorneys' motion for a mistrial over the publicity generated by FRIDAY's brouhaha over the DUI arrest of SCHNITT's attorney PHIL CAMPBELL and alleged involvement of members of BUBBA's legal team in that incident.  He dismissed five of the defamation counts alleged by SCHNITT but allowed the case to proceed. 

SCHNITT's motion for a mistrial due to the alleged acts of MELISSA PERSONIUS, a paralegal for ADAMS AND DIACO, BUBBA's lawyers, in the DUI case has yet to be ruled upon, although the judge said he did not find wrongdoing in the law firm's actions in the incident.  The judge also ordered BUBBA's attorney JOSEPH DIACO, to not be in contact with members of his firm who were in possession of CAMPBELL's briefcase while he was held on the DUI charge.

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