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A&E Wins First Round of Lawsuit That Alleges ‘Storage Wars’ Is Rigged

Mar 13, 2013  •  Post A Comment

At a hearing on Tuesday, March 12, 2013, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson tossed the unfair business practices claim of "Storage Wars" star David Hester, reports The Hollywood Reporter, adding, "The judge also demanded that Hester’s claim of wrongful termination be more specific."

According to the article, "One of Hester’s claims was that A&E committed unfair business practices. As a result of alleged ‘interference and manipulation of the outcomes of the auctions shown’ on ‘Storage Wars,’ he says that producers have made it appear that he is less skillful than his competition."

The story adds, "Because Judge Johnson agrees that the claim arises from constitutionally protected activity — ‘Storage Wars’ is expressive free speech — the burden shifted to Hester to demonstrate a probability of prevailing before the claim went any further."

The article also explains that, as TVWeek previously reported, "Hester is a professional buyer of abandoned storage lockers. ‘Storage Wars’ shows him and other buyers competing for these lockers. Hester is challenging the producer’s allegedly unethical behavior in ‘salting’ storage units. The reality-TV star says that this runs in violation of the Communication Act of 1934, which prohibits ‘influencing, prearranging, or predetermining outcomes’ in ‘contests of knowledge, skill, or chance.’ "

We urge you to click on the link in the first paragraph of this item, above, that takes you to the THR article where you can read about what happened in court on Tuesday in more depth.

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