Lying in Trash trailer: Shedding light on SLO County misconduct

July 18, 2019

Investigator Carl Knudson

By Cal Coast Times Staff

Seven years ago, a CalCoastNews article led to a lawsuit that forever reshaped the lives of its authors, their families, and its subjects. Following a $1.1 million judgement against CalCoastNews and reporters Karen Velie and Dan Blackburn, a production company out of Southern California produced a documentary that chronicles allegations of wrongdoing by a group of people affiliated with San Luis Obispo County’s waste management agency and their alleged attempt to shutter a news agency. [Cal Coast Times]

“Lying in Trash probes the origin of the lawsuit — the reckless efforts of a local politician named Adam Hill, and a handful of his governmental co-conspirators who plotted destruction of the two journalists and the news site,” according to the Lying in Trash website. “It documents the deplorable actions of a San Francisco law firm; a county judge bedazzled by those big-city celebrity lawyers; the untimely deaths of two key defense witnesses; pernicious efforts to poison the jury pool; the lop-sided trial; and the litany of lies by plaintiff’s witnesses to mislead jurors.

“It follows an internationally-recognized private investigator as he establishes the accuracy of the journalists’ original reporting, and proves the preponderance of perjury.”

The film, to be released in the winter, includes interviews with a former court administrator, a court reporter, former members of the waste management board, lawyers, a former member of Congress, a private investigator and a former IRS special agent.


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No wonder Adam Hill and his bunch have gone underground—-an FBI investigation will do that.


Great on the flick, but Id sure like to know if Karen and Dan and anyone else who was damaged in this mess were compensated and served true justice. After the torment they suffered I hope they sued the entire lot of these bastard for every penny they owned and them some.


Why is the crew not listed by their full names?