2 ms·
I'm not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure libel / slander is not a criminal offense anywhere in the US. You could get sued, if you lie about someone and they can ac
by imgabe 8y ago
I'm not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure libel / slander is not a criminal offense anywhere in the US. You could get sued, if you lie about someone and they can actually prove that it caused them some monetary damage, but no, you don't go to jail.
- whatislovecraft 8y agoOkay. It's still illegal and my point stands. There are disincentives for it here and that matters.
- dsfyu404ed 8y agoYour point does not stand. It's not illegal (a violation of civil or criminal law) in most jurisdictions. It's a slam dunk lawsuit though. There's basically just strict liability for any harm that comes of it (yes, I know I'm over-generalizing). Being liable for damages caused by making damaging false statements is basically the court forcing you to accept personal responsibility and making you make it right. Actions that constitute libel rarely violate a civil or criminal law (in the US). A lot of things are slam dunk lawsuits that aren't illegal (e.g. breach of contract).