Legal Experts, please read my question. Thank you!

by asilentone 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  Alco Cop

  so... without any written or verbal communication- I don't think it is Blackmail.
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  nicolaou

  It sounds threatening. It sounds intimidatory. Without giving us more information you aren't coming across too well here - sorry mate. Is it truly incriminating in the sense that it is evidence of a criminal offence? I doubt it.

  If you want to expose wrongdoing stand up and do it like a man.
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  JeffT

  If a cop shows up at your door and demands answers to questions about it, what are you going to tell him?

  What was the intent? What did you hope to gain? How did you get the pictures?

  How is a jury going to interpret your answers to those questions.

  It might not be blackmail, it might be invasion of privacy.

  It might not be a criminal case, but it could almost certainly be a criminal case.

  I wouldn't do it.
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  Mad Sweeney

  I don't see the danger here if the pics don't show illegal activity.
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  Chalam

  Agreed, blackmail is when you intend to extort or coerce.

  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blackmail

  If you send the demands later that then becomes blackmail.

  Has this anything to do with a married woman and her husband?

  Blessings,

  Stephen
• 

  Lady Lee

  My issue with sending the pics is exactly this

  Blackmail is gaining or attempting to gain anything of value or compelling
  another to act against such person's will, by threatening to communicate
  accusations or statements about any person that would subject such person
  or any other person to public ridicule, contempt or degradation

  Why send them if you don't expect something. Perhaps all you expect is to induce fear that a person has been found doing something they should not have been doing. The fear is meant to get them to stop doing it or else risk being exposed. The sender may never ask for money or other thing of value. Perhaps all that is wanted is a change in behavior, that "compelling another to act against such person's will" The threat is impled, not specific. Therefore it is blackmail.
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  Lady Lee

  I had to come back to this. There might be a line between blackmail and coercion but I think it is very fine.

  Coercion

  The intimidation of a victim to compel the individual to do some act against his or her will by the use of psychological pressure, physical force, or threats. The crime of intentionally and unlawfully restraining another's freedom by threatening to commit a crime, accusing the victim of a crime, disclosing any secret that would seriously impair the victim's reputation in the community, or by performing or refusing to perform an official action lawfully requested by the victim, or by causing an official to do so. http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Coersion (bold is mine)

  Blackmail

  The crime involving a threat for purposes of compelling a person to do an act against his or her will, or for purposes of taking the person's money or property.http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/blackmail (bold is mine)

  As you can see the line is indeed very thin. Let's take some examples:

  A husband threatens to hit his wife. He may actually never do it but the threat is enough to get her to do what he wants.

  In my mind he uses blackmail to coerce her to do what he wants.

  The WTS that uses threats of disfellowshipping or death to get JWs to remain obedient to their ever changing rules; pictures of destruction at Armageddon that will be their fate for failure to remain subservient JWs and unquestioning in their loyalty, threats of losing all family and friends, threats of being "marked". They threaten everything to keep JWs in line and as we are seeing more and more often agaist their will.

  Most of us here have been victims of both coercion and blackmail. We know it isn't good to be on the receiving end of these threats. Just for a minute think about how you have been controlled against your will. What was used against you. Did it have to be spelled out directly? While the WTS may publish something that says JWs may act based on their personal conscience they know damned well that means follow WT dictates or else. It doesn't mean they can do what they want without threat of discipline.
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  drew sagan

  The very act of contact through the method described enters a grey zone in which the threat of blackmail could possibly be inferred. The individual receiving the photograph is very likely to believe a blackmail threat is coming and may contact his lawyer soon after it is received.

  I would not venture down this road if I were you. Why take on unnecessary conflict, even if it may not bring about legal consequences? If the individual is able to figure out you did this you could be opening yourself up to all kinds of retribution.
• 

  VoidEater

  It's not blackmail.

  It may be intimidation (as in stalking) or harrasement (unwanted and annoying actions), or half a dozen other things that you can be prosecuted or sued in civil court for.
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  megaflower

  It may be considered cyberbulling. They are reaaly cracking down on it and more people are being prosceuted.