In December, a US jury ordered two individuals to pay damages of $425,000 for defaming their former employer and its executives in more than 14,000 messages on internet message boards and their own web site. This week, the individuals learned that they could go to prison for breaching a court order forbidding further postings.

On Tuesday, Californian Superior Court Judge Jack Komar began contempt proceedings against research scientists Michelangelo Delfino and Mary Day, formerly of Varian Medical Systems. According to Varian’s lawyers, they are continuing to post messages to their own web site and elsewhere, in breach of the December injunction.

In the postings which sparked the initial lawsuit they accused Varian’s executives of, among other things, adultery, discrimination, homophobia, being a danger to children and videotaping office bathrooms.

According to legal journal The Recorder, the contempt hearing will begin in July. If found guilty, Delfino and Day face up to five days in jail for each act that breaches the injunction.

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