In article ,
zxcvbob wrote:


Some people don't have have deep enough pockets to defend themselves
even if what they originally said was true. It can take years and
thousands of dollars for a libel suit to even get to court:
http://petsforum.com/psw/

Bob

Sure. The use of litigation or threat of litigation as a monetary tool
to stifle speech is a well-known tactic. When used by the government
(as was done by the Clinton administration to squelch opposition to HUD
policies) or by large corporations (to squelch opposition to planned
construction or zoning changes) it's called Strategic Litigation
Against Public Participation (SLAPP). If this can be shown, there are
civil and criminal remedies. When used simply as a tool to bankrupt
companies, as the plethora of frivolous government lawsuits against
gun manufacturers has attempted, it is legal.

There are also people who just get their jollies out of bringing suit
against people, and they frankly abuse their right to trial. Cases of
compulsive litigants are a dime a dozen. Usually these people hang
themselves with their own rope, eventually. In spite of what people
read, the courts generally are not all that sympathetic towards
truly fivolous suits, in my limited experience.

But both of these are separate issues compared to whether or not the
truth is an affirmative defense against libel.


billo