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Craigslist Poster Charged with Libel



Coloradan J.P. Weichel has been charged with libel for a 2007 Craigslist post in which he lambasted his ex-girlfriend, Silicon Alley Insider reports.

Weichel, obviously upset at the time, posted a diatribe on Craigslist's "Rants & Raves" section, accusing his ex-girlfriend of exchanging sex for legal services and implicitly stating that her abuse of their child warranted a call to child services. He told police that he was "just venting."

Unlike most states, Colorado treats libel as a criminal, rather than civil, matter, so, as a result, Weichel could serve as many as 18 months in prison.

Have you ever bad-mouthed someone online?
Yes284 (35.0%)
No497 (61.2%)
I don't know31 (3.8%)


This case could be used to set a much-needed precedent in the arena of online badmouthing; while airing somebody's dirty laundry in a newspaper would undoubtedly be addressed quickly, the same activity online most often goes unpunished. Well, we need a legitimate precedent, anyway.

We should all know what Mama used to say, but apparently it needs repeating: If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. [From: Silicon Alley Insider]

Tags: colorado, craigslist, crime, law, speech, web

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