Criminal Libel Cases In Colorado

J. P. Weichel is apparently still awaiting trial for posts he made about his girlfriend on Craigslist. The local prosecutor decided to charge him under the state’s criminal libel statute, which could land him in jail if he’s convicted. Mr. Weichel says he was venting over the situation between himself and the girlfriend, the mother of his child. Read more here in an L. A. Times article from last December. The Citizen Media Law Project lists this case as pending. Another case is pending in Colorado against Robert Tafoya. Read more here.

A number of states still have criminal libel laws on the books. Here’s a discussion from Paul McMasters of the First Amendment Center.