Wisconsin Woman allegedly put dead rat in food

[CaroPhoenix]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080715/...odd_rat_scheme

Wisconsin woman claims to find rat in her lunch ordered at an upscale restaurant. Demands $500,000 or will go to media. Restaurant's insurance company determines it's a lab rat and was microwaved (restaurant doesn't use microwaves).

[ditchdj]

I thought extortion was illegal too.

[Soulstealer]

I thought extortion was illegal too.

Extortion? They have her on libel now that it's in print.

[ditchdj]

Yeah but libel can't be prosecuted here.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Wouldn't libel be a civil case instead?

That dry-pool diving team member is full of fail.

[Rapscallion]

Libel and slander are civil cases, but attempting fraud is a criminal matter.

Where is it that libel cannot be prosecuted? How come? I'm baffled and interested at the same time.

Rapscallion

[ditchdj]

Well, in America, libel is where you cause damage to someone (usually in the form of reputation, which can result in loss of income and other personal hardships), but it's not stated on the law books that it's a criminal act. For example, you pubicly state that a business owner is a child molester and it's a lie. The person loses so many sales that he/she is forced out of business. There's no law that states that it's illegal to lie about somebody, BUT you DID cause damage to that person's reputation to the point that their way of life was compromised. In that case, you have the option to sue them in civil court in order to be compensated for damages. Civil court is different than criminal court in that, in a criminal trial, if you choose a jury of twelve, they ALL have to agree you're guilty in order to reach a verdict. In a civil case, you only need a majority vote in whic more than six jurors have to agree you should be compansated. Of course, in either case, the accused can simply ask for a single judge to choose whether or not to find guilt. In the case of choosing a jury trial that's why OJ Simpson was found not guilty of murder, but was still found to be liable in the wrongful death suits of the two people that he was accused of killing.

[tropicsgoddess]

I don't condone extortion or getting money the illegal way, but if that woman was gonna use a rat for that scam, she should've used a real rat instead...anybody with half a brain knows that white lab rats aren't found rummaging for food in dirty kitchens (home or restaurant) and sewers. DUH! I bet the judge would give her a year and a half in prison at the very least.

[Rapscallion]

That's pretty much what I said, DitchDJ, as far as I read it. It can be prosecuted, but it's a private matter. Looks like we were reading the same page from opposite sides.

Rapscallion

[ditchdj]

I just read, though, that she IS being charged with extortion. That's pretty much like robbery, except you're using blackmail to get money out of someone instead of a weapon.

But seriously, if libel was a criminal act, you'd have so many people being arrested for allegedly talking trash about someone it would be almost impossible to enforce. You could even be arrested just for posting something on here that offended someone. It would be a disaster.