BY TANYA ALBERT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Stanley Chesley
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Cincinnati lawyer and Democratic fund raiser Stanley M. Chesley will help Hamilton County's prosecutor fight a lawsuit in which Larry and Jimmy Flynt say he sullied their reputations.
Mr. Chesley said Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters contacted him earlier this month, within a day after the lawsuit was filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. He took on the case because he believes a prosecutor should be able to do his job without being afraid of getting sued.
"Prosecutors should not be in a position of having to be sued," Mr. Chesley said Friday. "I have a great deal of respect for him."
Hamilton County Commissioners on Friday unanimously approved the request for outside counsel and offered their own comments about the nature of the Flynt brothers' suit.
"I don't know how you hurt a pornographer's reputation," said Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus.
The Flynt brothers filed the civil lawsuit because they believe Mr. Deters insinuated during a June press conference that they tried to bribe the star witness in an upcoming criminal trial against them. CP:Jimmy Flynt
Mr. Deters remarks, they have said, were an effort to influence potential Hamilton County jurors in the criminal trial.
The Flynts face 15 obscenity and corruption counts, including disseminating material harmful to a juvenile, from alleged activity at their Hustler store downtown. Larry Flynt, whose publications include Hustler magazine, opened the store in October. His brother Jimmy Flynt manages the store.
Lucy May contributed to this report.
