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Nevada law makes libel a crime and imposes penalties for libel on writers, editors, and publishers in circumstances where defamatory information was maliciously printed that hurt the reputation of any person, group of persons, or association of persons living or dead. Laws on the crime of libel are found in Chapter 200 of Title 15, which is the chapter of Nevada’s criminal code that deals with crimes against persons.
There are specific legal requirements in order for a defendant to be convicted of libel. In most cases, for example, a prosecutor must show that the defamatory information was transmitted via some medium, including signs, periodicals, newspapers, or other methods of transmitting information.
However, while a prosecutor typically must prove that defamatory information was actually distributed in order to get a conviction, there is also another libel offense within Chapter 200 that could lead to criminal charges as well. That offense involves threatening to publish libel.
If you have been accused of threatening to publish libel, you need to take the charges seriously because a conviction could end your career and could potentially result in jail time and a permanent criminal record. A Vegas defense attorney at LV Criminal Defense can provide you with assistance in responding to libel charges so you can try to protect your future. Give us a call today to find out about the help we can provide as you develop a strategy for dealing with accusations connected to libel.
The offense of threatening to publish libel is defined in Nevada Revised Statute section 200.560. According to the relevant statute, any person who threatens the publication of a libel could be charged with this offense. This includes threatening the publication of a libel concerning the person who is being threatened, his or her spouse, his or her child, or his or per parents or another family member.
The same statute also makes it a crime to offer to prevent the publication of a libel in exchange for or conditioned upon receiving payment or any item of value. The prosecutor in this particular case would need to prove that the intent was to extort money or other valuable items in exchange for preventing the publication of the libel.
Nick Wooldridge has a long track record of representing clients accused of serious federal and state crimes in Nevada.
If the prosecutor is successfully able to prove that a defendant either threatened to publish libel or tried to extort money in order to prevent libel from being published, the defendant can be convicted of a gross misdemeanor offense. Gross misdemeanors are more serious than simple misdemeanors, although not as serious as felony offenses. There is a possibility of both jail time as well as a fine for a defendant who is convicted of a gross misdemeanor criminal offense.
If you are accused of threatening to publish libel, you have several options for trying to respond to the serious accusations that have been made against you. LV Criminal Defense can provide assistance in determining which option is the right one for responding to the charges.
You could plead not guilty, go to court and attempt to get acquitted of charges. If this is the right approach, our Vegas defense attorneys will represent you in court and help you to introduce reasonable doubt as to your guilt and/or to introduce affirmative defenses justifying your actions. We can also provide help negotiating a plea agreement in circumstances where you don’t want to take your chances on an acquittal and you are hoping for a reduced penalty in exchange for admitting guilt.
To find out more about the different ways our Nevada legal defense firm can provide you with help in fighting to reduce or avoid the consequences for threatening to publish libel, give us a call today.
When I initially met with Mr. Wooldridge, he took the opportunity to sit and go over my problem with me. He described details in my case which he found disturbing and explained why he I should have him on my side.
