Defamation charge stems from craigslist post

April 16, 2008 in Craigslist, Harassment by Trench Reynolds | No comments

Comments on Craigslist result in defamation charge:

Here’s a crime I never thought I’d be posting about here, defamation. But I guess it makes sense consider craigslist’s rant and rave section.

Anyway, 21-year-old Mitchell Bradley Klebel of Minnesota has been charged with criminal defamation for posting the following on craigslist.

It stated “Police Chief Dave Johnson deals smack. Fact. Dodge County Court Judge Ageter (spelling?) does cocaine. Fact. Try and stop these people.”

Except the statements aren’t fact and law enforcement traced the post back to Klebel’s work computer.

Criminal defamation cases are rare but not unheard of especially in the internet age.

In Minnesota criminal defamation is a misdemeanor.

But if you ever have read the typical Rants and Raves post you’d think these people should be jailed just for being stupid and illiterate. They’re almost as bad as YouTube comments.

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