Legalities afoot!

[thehoodedsmack]

I got into a discussion with some friends today, and now I'd like some opinions from y'all. Protection rackets. And whether or not they can be legal. ie. Not directly saying "pay up or you'll get hurt", but sort of hinting at it. If anyone knows anything about laws and what-not, please share. If it can be legal, it sounds like it could be quite profitable. :p

[itszutak]

I doubt it matters if it's legal...If a "trapped" person tried to go to the police, they'd get screwed over by their "trappers", and this scares them into not going to the police in the first place.

[thehoodedsmack]

Our example had the person receive the "protection" offer in the mail. So there's no direct physical threat, it's just imagined that the person would be able to take a hint, though no threat is definitively issued.

[Mass]

Umm, extortion is illegal, unless you're hired as literal guards, it's illegal.

[Kornman00]

which is why people just sue nowadays

[Chewy Gumball]

If you got it in the mail, would you believe it? I wouldn't.

[dg]

If I got an IRS audit notice in the mail, I would believe it. ;-)

Smack, if I may ask, what did the person do to deserve a mail-threat like this?

[Kornman00]

kick his dog

[thehoodedsmack]

Smack, if I may ask, what did the person do to deserve a mail-threat like this?

Nothing at all. The idea was to ship the "threats" in bulk, and hope a nice percentage of recipients fell for it.

[Dr Nick]

kick his dong

ftfy :eng101:

[nooBBooze]

lemme get this straight:
no protection rackets=no mafia=no "The godfather"= < :mad: >

[Sel]

From what I know of Canadian law, Id assume theyd be illegal, and even if they were legal, The person giving the protection money could sue the gangstas for Assault (Fear of harm), mental pain and suffering (Big bucks there; Too long and complicated to explain to you all) and battery(Harmful or offensive physical contact) if the maffia hurts them in any offensive/extreme way. And then theres interference with chattells (Vandalism of their stuff) if they go about busting up the persons stuff.

Other interesting law facts, if someone says, "Take your best shot" You can punch them once as hard as you want since its expressed consent, and if they assume a fighting pose, you can beat them until their down and out.

[thehoodedsmack]

mental pain and suffering (Big bucks there; Too long and complicated to explain to you all).

ORLY? I thought this might exist, but I wasn't sure. I don't suppose that means I could sue the "Alien" filmmakers for giving me nightmares, could it?

[Sel]

Thats not really fitting.

I dug out my law book and heres a condensed definition.

Mental pain and suffering.

Extreme or outrageous conduct which causes the victim emotional pain or suffering.

The suffering muse be severe, and somewhat permanent.

This does not exist for the overly flighty (Easily startled etc) Unless the feasor knew of these susceptibilities, and then planned his actions around them.

So no, you cant sue for getting nightmares from horror movies. Since its not outrageous, its accepted D: