Techie's List

[James Barrow]

I didn't want this to become a summary of a brief presented to the Supreme
Court but, Fred is wrong.  Again.  So, in an effort to help anyone wondering
if what they write online could come back to haunt them...

Seventeen states have criminal libel laws:

<http://www.dba-oracle.com/oracle_news/news_states_criminal_libel_web_intern
et.htm>
 
And some states take this fairly seriously:

http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=2970

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20021206.html

The bottom line: criminal libel statutes present a risk to anyone who lives
in a state with criminal libel laws on their books, regardless of whether or
not those states are actively or passively working to rescind those laws.

- Jim
-----Original Message-----
On Behalf Of Lauren
 
Ooo... Spank.  Jim was wrong and Fred is now a legal authority.

Okie dokie.

Lauren
-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Ridder [mailto:docudoc at hotmail.com] 

Point 1:
That is true in exactly *one* state: Colorado. 
<snip the rant>
Point 2:
Criminal libel is much harder to prove than civil libel because of the
additional conditions in criminal libel statutes.

Point 3:
In most jurisdictions, prosecutors have better things to spend their time
and the public's money on than offences where civil remedies also exist.

The bottom line is that criminal libel statutes present little or no risk to
anyone who lives outside of Colorado and who doesn't deliberately commit
malicious acts.