Dembski threatens to sue Dover defense

(UPDATE: Apparently the dispute has been resolved and Dembski will be paid. See updated post at Post-Darwinist. Links here updated.)

Well, we don’t say this very often on The Thumb, but a hat-tip goes to pro-ID journalist Denyse O’Leary and her Post-Darwinist blog for breaking this story:

Key ID theorist threatens to sue intelligent design supporters in Dover, Pennsylvania case

Recently, this blog learned that ID theorist Bill Dembski is threatening legal action against the Thomas More Law Center for refusing to pay him for over one hundred hours of time he clocked as an expert witness in the Dover intelligent design case. The Center recently dismissed Dembski as an expert witness, in what sounds like a falling out with the mainstream ID community.

Denyse O’Leary, Post-Darwinist

O’Leary, further down, says,

I would guess that one reason FTE wanted Dembski to have a lawyer was to advise him when he did not actually have to answer a question that impinges on intellectual property rights.

Anyway, Dembski insisted on a lawyer and Thomas More dismissed him. Was that the only reason, or were there other issues, I wonder … Dembski says that Thomas More is now stalling on paying him for his time which he estimates at 115 hours. So Dembski is now hiring a lawyer to get his fee.

Denyse O’Leary, Post-Darwinist

This is the first we Thumb-ites have heard of this development. The only thing I can add is that the hourly rates for each witness were included in the expert reports. All of the ID witnesses were being paid $100/hour for time spent in preparation and testimony, except Dembski, who was being paid $200/hour.