Message from discussion Are flames libel?

From: ches...@max.tiac.net (David Chesler)
Subject: Re: Are flames libel?
Date: 1995/05/17
Message-ID: <3pbooe$qc9@sundog.tiac.net>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 102729929
references: <D0AnMB.4uu@world.std.com> <19941205.094659.714@almaden.ibm.com> <3okv75$346e@unixfe.rl.ac.uk> <D8L1H2.vGC@ns1.nodak.edu>
organization: The Internet Access Company
newsgroups: ne.general,misc.legal,ne.politics

In article <D8L1H2....@ns1.nodak.edu>,
Dan L Schechter <schec...@badlands.NoDak.edu> wrote:
>P.S. Law is the only professional field I am aware of where accepted 
>standards of ethics sometimes _require_ a practioner to lie. "My client 
>is innocent, your Honor!"

 Innocent is a matter of law[*] -- didn't do it is a matter of fact.
The lawyer is not required to lie as to the facts ("my client didn't
do it") but only to zealously defend the case.  (Whether lawyers lie
more or less than salesmen, actors, fortune tellers, etc. in practice
is different than standards of ethics.)

 On the other hand, doctors and clergymen are required to keep
confidences by their professional standards of ethics.  In addition,
although this is less prevalent now than in the past, doctors do
withold upsetting information.

 [*] Three umpires are talking about their jobs.  The first says
"Some pitches are balls, some pitches are strikes: I calls 'em
as I sees 'em".
 The second is more confident: "Some pitches are balls, some
pitches are strikes: I calls 'em as they are."
 The third umpire used to be a lawyer: "Some pitches are balls,
some pitches are strikes: but they ain't nuttin' until I calls 'em."
-- 
David Chesler (ches...@tiac.net - CURRENT ches...@world.std.com - SOMETIMES
          dches...@jurisoft.com - WORK    da...@chesler.absol.com - ALWAYS)
 
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