Can John Doe Stay Anonymous? Free Speech2/21/2001; 11:14:20 AM 'What kind of lawsuit do you have when the plaintiff is happy to drop the charges and the defense attorneys wish they could have gone to trial? ...'In the suit, Rural/Metro subpoenaed Yahoo, demanding the identities of the four individuals involved in the postings. 'Rural/Metro dropped the suit Tuesday, saying it had accomplished its goal of having the messages stop. But the defense attorneys said they were disappointed the case didn't go to trial, because they hoped to set a legal precedent saying companies couldn't gain access to private information just because they allege they were wronged. 'Privacy and free speech advocates saw the Rural/Metro case as a missed opportunity. Had the case gone to trial, the court would have addressed whether, or under what circumstances, Internet Service Providers would be required to divulge private information.'The good cases never go to court, only the ones where the courts rule that large companies have the right to make money, no matter what the cost to public. I really wish that was a sour-grapes statement, rather then the truth it is.