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Judge Rules In Favor Of College Student In Twitter Dispute

MOUNT PLEASANT (WWJ/AP) - A judge says a Twitter account intended to poke fun at a mid-Michigan lawyer is protected by the First Amendment.

Isabella County Judge Paul Chamberlain dismissed a lawsuit Thursday by Mount Pleasant attorney Todd Levitt, who claims the Twitter account is malicious.

The judge says it's unlikely that a "reasonable person" would believe that tweets encouraging college students to drink alcohol were created by a lawyer seeking to promote his business.

Chamberlain says it's clear the tweets are intended to satirize Levitt's own tweets about alcohol and drug use. The Twitter account was created by Zachary Felton, a student at Central Michigan University.

Levitt's attorney, Ghazey Aleck, declined to comment when contacted by the Morning Sun.

The lawsuit sought more than $25,000 in damages.

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