Villain In Docudrama Sues Netflix

The 2015 docudrama titled Making a Murderer turned Netflix into the go-to channel for true crime programming and made Andrew Colborn, an officer in the Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s Department, a villain in the eyes of millions of armchair detectives. Since then many such dramas have been made for showing on podcasts and cable networks. Now Colborn and several others who found themselves in the same situation are suing for defamation. Making a Murderer portrayed Colborn as a corrupt cop who framed a marginally retarded man for a murder he didn’t commit. He says the man’s sympathizers have confronted him, threatened to kidnap and gang rape his wife and have posted pictures of his children online. He has built a safe room in his home, and he and his wife no longer travel or dine out. They have collected hundreds of recorded telephone threats that they hope to use as evidence in his suit. He has one advantage. Wisconsin’s doesn’t have an anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) law, a statute intended to deter frivolous litigation implicating First Amendment activity. That means Netflix will be subject to discovery. The company has until Jan. 31 to respond to Colborn’s complaint in court.