The Journal Inquirer’s lawsuit charging the Hartford Courant with plagiarism and misappropriation of copyrighted material has created an innocent victim.

In its court filings identifying the stories that the Courant copied, the JI names a piece written by former Courant reporter — now freelancer — Larry Smith.

Here’s what Larry has to say about that:

I did NOT plagiarize. I was at the same September 8, 2009, Tolland Council meeting as the Journal Inquirer’’s reporter Max Bakke, and was in fact sitting in front of him. My story was written from my notes of the council’’s discussion at the meeting and the information in the agenda packet. The only truth in the JI’’s supposition is that my story ran two days after Bakke’’s.
To this day, I have never seen Bakke’’s story. I don’’t have access to the JI’’s online edition, nor do I subscribe to that publication or buy it.
I was at first nonplused, then thoroughly disgusted when I learned of the accusation.
In nearly 25 years of writing for news organizations, I have never plagiarized anyone’’s story, nor would I ever do so.  In the thousands upon thousands of stories I have written for seven news organizations, I had never been accused of something I find so egregious -  until last week.

Chris Powell, the JI’s managing editor, has said he will look into this problem, now that it has been brought to his attention.

 I used to work for Chris, and I know that he is a journalist of  integrity and considerable backbone. I believe that when he gets his facts straight, he will amend his lawsuit, apologize to Larry,  and, most importantly, clear the name of a good journalist and decent man whose career has been unfairly maligned.

There is no need for Larry Smith to be collateral damage in the JI’s move to punish The Hartford Courant for its unprofessional and unethical conduct.