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Pastimes : Whodunit? Two Stockbrokers Murdered in Jersey; No Clues -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Arcane Lore who wrote (703)	11/5/1999 10:26:00 PM
From: StockDung	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1156

Maybe Global DataTel, could clarify their press release since I did not see this mentioned in any of their filings with the SEC tenkwizard.com OK, who on SI made this up and is using Global DataTel name? Come on fess up. JOSEPH CHARLES & ASSOCIATES FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST GLOBAL DATATEL MONDAY, MAY 24 1999 12:09 AM EST in Palm Beach County Circuit Court BOCA RATON, Fla., May 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by Joseph Charles & Associates, Inc., a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, CRD number 3949: Joseph Charles & Associates has filed a lawsuit in the Palm Beach county circuit court against Global DataTel, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: GDIS), its transfer agent, Signature Transfer, Inc., the president of the corporation, Richard Baker and a Bahamian corporation, SevenOaks Holdings, Limited. The complaint alleges that in late March, 1999, SevenOaks opened an account at Joseph Charles with 396,475 shares of GDIS. Joseph Charles had not previously traded in any shares of GDIS. The complaint states that Joseph Charles forwarded the shares to its clearing firm for confirmation of validation and transferability, which confirmation was received. Furthermore, one month following the original confirmation, on May 6, 1999, Signature Transfer informed Joseph Charles' clearing firm that the certificates representing the 396,475 shares of GDIS are invalid and had been fraudulently or improperly issued. Since that time Joseph Charles has been diligently attempting to rectify the situation and seek remedial relief. However, to date GDIS has refused to provide Joseph Charles with valid certificates, has refused to provide an explanation as to the course of conduct and has otherwise been uncooperative and unsupportive. Joseph Charles may suffer substantial injury as a result of the invalidation of the stock certificates. These events have caused Joseph Charles to begin to conduct an investigation on GDIS, including its financial, sales and revenue claims. Joseph Charles is extremely concerned about the integrity of the market place and the protection of its investors. As of this date, Joseph Charles has been unable to verify any of the financial, sales or revenue claims, although it is continuing all efforts to do so. Joseph Charles has requested the assistance from and has contacted all industry regulatory agencies and other authorities regarding this matter. Information and statements contained herein, other than historical information, should be considered forward-looking, which involve risk and uncertainties. Joseph Charles & Assoc., Inc., its officers, directors and affiliates may maintain positions in the securities referenced which may change at any time without notice. The securities referenced are speculative in nature and may not be suitable for your investment objective. SOURCE Joseph Charles & Associates, Inc. 05/24/99 /CONTACT: John Busacca, Director of Compliance, Joseph Charles & Assoc., Inc., 561-391-9090/ CO: Joseph Charles & Associates, Inc.; Global DataTel, Inc. ST: Florida IN: FIN SU: LAW www2.marketwatch.com. ===== Global DataTel Vows to Protect Shareholder Interests MONDAY, MAY 24 1999 6:10 PM EST DELRAY BEACH, FLA. (May 24) BUSINESS WIRE -May 24, 1999-- Company Responds to Tactics of Joseph Charles Associates Global DataTel Inc. (OTCBB:GDIS) announced today that it has recently been in contact with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission concerning the activities of Joseph Charles & Associates Inc., a Boca-Raton based brokerage firm, with regard to Global DataTel. The company is taking action to protect the rights of its shareholders, following a week-long assault on Global DataTel by Joseph Charles via posts made on the Internet. Today, Joseph Charles, through a publicity news service, issued a release indicating that Joseph Charles had brought a suit against Global DataTel, yet conspicuously failed to disclose that its initial request for relief has already been denied by the Court. "Joseph Charles & Associates Inc., has, through a variety of e-mails and posts on the internet, maliciously slandered Global DataTel with the intent to drive the company's stock price down," stated Richard Baker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Global DataTel. "In the appropriate forum, we will demonstrate that Joseph Charles was alerted by our attorneys in March, 1999, that a stock certificate for the same number of shares mentioned in Joseph Charles' press release had been stopped and that our attorneys have a signed receipt to acknowledge that this notification was indeed received by Joseph Charles. Joseph Charles disregarded this notice and sold shares, without adequate inquiry, creating a short position in the Company's stock which they desperately need to cover. "Today's press release is the most recent example of Joseph Charles' campaign to drive down Global DataTel's share price. We will not allow our shareholders to be hurt by the unsubstantiated innuendo and scare tactics practiced by these people, and we intend to vigorously defend our shareholders' rights in this matter," Baker said. Global DataTel (www.globaldatatel.com) is a first tier IBM Business Partner and the Latin American leader in medium to large system integration projects. Global also partners with Compaq, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Cisco, and is a Microsoft Certified Solution provider, Lotus Premier Team Provider and is a distributor of JBA International E.R.P. company. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, eHOLA.com Online Service Network (www.ehola.com), is the first integrated Internet access service and Spanish language content portal available to Spanish-speaking individuals in North, Central and South America. The network provides consumer and business dial-up and dedicated internet access to 300 cities throughout 13 countries, and is available to 85 percent of the "wired" population in the U.S., Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama. With more than 220 local POP's and monthly subscriptions as low as $9 per month, the eHOLA.com network offers a unique entry point for the more than 35 million new Latin American users expected to be online by 2001. eHOLA.com is the first Spanish internet portal providing its own content, as well as access to the internet, offering subscribers the capability of dialing into a local access number without a roaming charge, whether in North, Central or South America. In addition, eHOLA has formed radioeHOLA, a comprehensive addition to the portal with more than 40 Spanish/Portuguese radio stations online. During the past month, the site has registered approximately 300,000 "hits" daily. Questions regarding this matter may be addressed to Global DataTel attorneys: Jerome M. Selvers, Esq. Sonnenblick, Parker & Selvers, P.C. Freehold Executive Center 4400 Route 9 South PO Box 765 Freehold, N.J. 07723 732-431-1234 This release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve the known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the company's actual results in future periods to differ materially from what is anticipated. lp/ny* rg CONTACT: Martin E. Janis & Company, Chicago Bev Jedynak, 312/943-1100 KEYWORD: FLORIDA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED Today's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internet with Hyperlinks to your home page. URL: businesswire.com www2.marketwatch.com. ===== Joseph Charles and Global DataTel Make Joint Announcement TUESDAY, JUNE 1 1999 4:56 PM EST BOCA RATON/DELRAY BEACH, FLA. (June 1) BUSINESS WIRE -June 1, 1999-- Joseph Charles & Associates, Inc. and Global DataTel, Inc. (OTCBB: GDIS) jointly announced today that Joseph Charles & Associates has dismissed its lawsuit against Global DataTel, Signature Stock Transfer and Richard Baker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Global DataTel. sm/ny* al CONTACT: Martin E. Janis & Company Inc., Chicago Bev Jedynak, 312/943-1100 KEYWORD: FLORIDA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMED COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS TELECOMMUNICATIONS Today's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internet with Hyperlinks to your home page. URL: businesswire.com www2.marketwatch.com.

To: Arcane Lore who wrote (703)	11/5/1999 10:27:00 PM
From: StockDung	Respond to of 1156

STRATEGIC LAWSUITS AGAINST PUBLIC PARTICIPATION -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last updated: The First Amendment Project offers access to resources and information on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and open government, including a resource library, this online reference guide, manuals, and a SLAPP defense handbook and database. Below is a list of frequently asked questions regarding SLAPPs, the text of California Code of Civil Procedure §425.16 (California's Anti-SLAPP law), and a list of sources that will help you in fighting a SLAPP. Frequently Asked Questions What is a SLAPP? How to Protect Yourself. Speak the Truth. Check Insurance. Seek Legal Advice and Where to Find it More information: In Depth Citizen's Guide to SLAPPs. Guarding Against the Chill, Our in Depth Manual for those who find themselves victims of a SLAPP Click here to down load a copy of Guarding Against the Chill 50K. California's Anti-SLAPP law California Code of Civil Procedure §425.16 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is a SLAPP? Generally, a "SLAPP" is a (1) civil complaint or counterclaim; (2) filed against individuals or organizations; (3) arising from their communications to government or speech on an issue of public interest or concern. SLAPPs are often brought by corporations, real estate developers, government officials and others against individuals and community groups who oppose them on issues of public concern. SLAPP filers frequently use lawsuits based on ordinary civil claims such as defamation, conspiracy, malicious prosecution, nuisance, interference with contract and/or economic advantage, as a means of transforming public debate into lawsuits. Most SLAPPs are ultimately legally unsuccessful. While most SLAPPs lose in court, they "succeed" in the public arena. This is because defending a SLAPP, even when the legal defense is strong, requires a substantial investment of money, time, and resources. The resulting effect is a "chill" on public participation in, and open debate on, important public issues. This "chilling" effect is not limited to the SLAPP target(s): fearful of being the target of future litigation, others refrain from speaking on, or participating in, issues of public concern. The filing of a SLAPP also impedes resolution of the public matter at issue, by removing the parties from the public decision-making forum, where the both cause and resolution of the dispute can be determined, and placing them before a court, where only the alleged "effects" of the public controversy may be determined. For example, imagine a company asks for a zoning variance to place an incinerator in a residential area. When local residents object to the city council, the company sues them for "interference with contract." The judge hearing the suit cannot decide the real issues -- the location of the incinerator -- but will have to spend considerable judicial resources to decide the side issues of the alleged "damages" or other consequences of the public debate on the real issues. Every year, thousands of people are sued for participating in government or for speaking out on public issues. SLAPP targets have been sued for engaging in a wide variety of protected speech and protected expression activities, including: writing a letter to the editor circulating petitions calling a public official reporting police misconduct erecting a sign or displaying a banner on their property complaining to school officials about teacher misconduct or unsafe conditions in the school speaking at a public meeting reporting unlawful activities testifying before Congress or state legislatures speaking as an officer of an active public interest group filing a public interest lawsuit In California, a new law to protect people from SLAPPs, Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16, took effect in 1993. The law allows a judge to decide at the outset of the suit whether the SLAPP has a "probability" of winning. If the judge finds that it does not, the SLAPP must be dismissed, and the SLAPP target wins his or her legal defense costs and attorneys' fees. The expressive activity which is protected under the new California law is broad. Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16 states that activity which is protected under the law includes: any written or oral statement or writing made before a legislative, executive, or judicial proceeding, or any other official proceeding authorized by law; any written or oral statement or writing made in connection with an issue under consideration or review by a legislative, executive, or judicial body, or any other official proceeding authorized by law; or any written or oral statement or writing made in a place open to the public or a public forum in connection with an issue of public interest. Table of contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF SPEAK THE TRUTH Whether you are writing your government representative or speaking on an issue of public importance, always make sure your statements are factually correct. If your letters, reports, pamphlets, or other written documents are accurate, there will be no factual disputes later on. You may want to keep copies of all background materials and note sources of facts and figures quoted so that you can show where you obtained the information. Understand that there are differences between statements of fact and statements of opinion. You may be legitimately sued for false statements of fact, but not for statements of opinion. Be careful. You will not be protected for stating, "In my opinion, Senator Squelch is a liar and a thief," unless, of course, your statement is entirely true. If your words contain an assertion of fact that is capable of being proven true or false -- i.e., that Squelch is or is not a liar and a thief -- you can be sued if it is shown that your statement is false, even though you tried to qualify the statement as "opinion." Table of contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHECK INSURANCE COVERAGE If you are a homeowner and carry homeowner's insurance, check you policy for personal injury liability coverage. Many policies protect homeowners from personal injury lawsuits based on such things as defamation, nuisance, interference with contract, etc. If you can't tell whether your policy will protect you, consult your carrier. If your present policy does not cover you, ask about a rider which would extend coverage to such matters. Table of contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEEK LEGAL ADVICE If you are planning to write to a government official or speak out on a public issue, and you are unsure if your statements could subject you to a lawsuit, contact a lawyer who can assist you. WHERE TO FIND HELP First Amendment Project ("FAP"). 1736 Franklin Street, Eighth Floor, Oakland, California 94612 [510/208-7744]. FAP is a non-profit public interest law firm active in two main areas of First Amendment law: anti-SLAPP and open government. FAP provides legal representation to individuals and organizations to defend against SLAPPs. FAP also helps individuals, citizen groups, and the media gain access to government records and meetings through enforcement of local, state and federal public records, freedom of information, and open meeting laws. California Anti-SLAPP Project ("CASP"). 1611 Telegraph Avenue, Twelfth Floor, Oakland, California 94612 [510/835-0850]. CASP is dedicated to helping protect and further the rights of Californians to participate in government and civic affairs and to speak freely about public issues. CASP maintains a resource and information center about California SLAPPs. SLAPP Resource Center. University of Denver School of Law, 1900 Olive Street, Denver, Colorado 80220 [303/871-6266]. The SLAPP Resource Center is run by University of Denver Professors George Pring and Penelope Canan, the leading authorities on SLAPPs. These scholars first coined the term "SLAPP" and have studied these cases extensively. Write for a free informational packet on SLAPPs. American Civil Liberties Union ("ACLU"). Northern California: 1663 Mission Street, Fourth Floor, San Francisco, California 94103; Southern California: 1616 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90026 California First Amendment Coalition ("CFAC"). 926 "J" Street, Sacramento, California 94244 [916/447-2322]. CFAC is an excellent resource for up-to-the-minute information on speech, petition, and open-government laws in California. CFAC also maintains a lawyer referral service. Libel Defense Resource Center ("LDRC"). 404 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10016. National Lawyers Guild ("NLG"). Northern California: Bay Area Chapter of the NLG, 558 Capp Street, San Francisco, California 94110 [415/285-5067]; Southern California: NLG Los Angeles, 8124 W. Third Street, Suite 201, Los Angeles, California 90048 [209/441-8721]. Local Bar Associations. Local bar associations often have a lawyer referral service and may be able to tell you which firms handle pro bono and/or low cost legal services. Friends and Family. Friends and family are always a good place to seek help. If you are in need of legal help, don't be afraid to ask everyone you know for a lawyer referral to follow up on. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of contents Click here to return to home page.