
He Disparaged the Police on Facebook, So They Arrested Him - augustocallejas
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/07/us/politics/criminal-libel-laws-lawsuit.html
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nsedlet
This is probably an unpopular opinion, and I'd want to think this through
more, but I've been feeling recently that libel laws in the U.S. ought to be
stronger. We have a massive problem with propagandists (especially on the
right, but also the left) using blatant lies to manipulate opinion. The net
result is a huge amount of anger & distrust.

The media is a mess. Even mainstream outlets like Fox routinely lie to their
viewers. Other countries with stronger libel laws (like the UK) don't have
nearly as bad a problem, and I can't help but feel like it's related.
Obviously the UK has its own issues but it feels much saner to me.

In this case, accusing a specific police officer of being corrupt with zero
evidence IS an awful thing to do. It's different from saying that a department
is corrupt, etc. There are tons of examples of police abusing their power but
this just doesn't seem like one.

Note that the standard for criminal libel requires the person to know they are
lying, and that has to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

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analyst74
There is also massive corruption problem in the police force, because citizens
don't really have effective ways to "watch the watchers". And stronger libel
law will definitely be used against people who criticize the police, rightly
or wrongly.

That being said, misinformation is also a huge problem. So maybe we'll have to
find other ways to more effectively hold individuals accountable, whether
they're abusing institutional power or spreading misinformation.

~~~
umvi
> There is also massive corruption problem in the police force

Is this really true or just the impression given by cherry-picking the worst
possible cases nation wide and amplifying them via media?

Define "massive". If you got pulled over, would you be legitimately worried
about being tazed or abused?

~~~
PhasmaFelis
I'd be more likely to believe that the publicly-repeated abuse cases are
flukes if the officers involved didn't seem to get off with a slap on the
wrist the majority of the time.

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jackallis
as a brown guy, i will never have the balls big enough to make comments like
this.

~~~
AnimalMuppet
As a white guy, I mourn that people of color feel that making comments like
this requires courage. It shouldn't require courage at all, for anybody,
regardless of color or race or religion or gender or _anything_. I mourn that
people like you have to be more careful in interactions with police or other
authorities. It just stinks.

~~~
jackallis
I get your sentiment, but like all color folks who say to white folks, " you
just don't understand what it means to be colored in everyday life." But you
should not be ashamed to be white.

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bovermyer
Just because he was arrested for criminal libel doesn't mean he will be
convicted of it.

The article does a good job of presenting a high level overview of criminal
libel: what it is, what the arguments around it are, and so forth. Read the
whole thing.

~~~
coldtea
> _Just because he was arrested for criminal libel doesn 't mean he will be
> convicted of it._

Doesn't matter. Can still lose money (e.g. by taking time off of his work) and
can still be harassed (even after the case ends), and can still have his life
made a living hell by casual police and friends activity.

~~~
bovermyer
He also has prior arrests for similar problems, including a libel suit where
he was convicted for wrongfully disparaging a life coaching business.

I'm not convinced of his innocence here.

