Cindy Sheehan

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

Sheehan is annoying, but these two radio types had better be telling the whole truth, and pretty certain of their facts or this could be one that Cindy could win.

Well, Sheehan has unquestionably made herself a public figure, so it's going to be an actual malice standard, not just a standard libel standard.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Well, Sheehan has unquestionably made herself a public figure, so it's going to be an actual malice standard, not just a standard libel standard.

That's probably true. I wonder how the courts would define a "public figure" in a case like this one.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

That's probably true. I wonder how the courts would define a "public figure" in a case like this one.

The usual Wikipedia caveats apply, and then some since "public figure" is a legal term of art, but the Wikipedia article on "public figure" is a fairly good nutshell of what the term means. I'd wager that most courts would find that Cindy Sheehan is a limited purpose public figure with regard to the war in Iraq.