Cubfan wrote
Having read the past few days of posts here, I can't help but feel uncomfortable with the suggestions that someone specific may be/have been involved in doing something illegal in the SWA. It's one thing to talk about things in private, but it's another when it becomes public no a forum like this.
I have no idea how slander or defamation of character laws work in the "internet age" online, but I think if nothing else it's disrespectful to implicate someone publicly like this by name.
Just my $0.02
I am not sure what statements you are thinking of here Paul? It is fairly common knowledge that Ron and Bob own the Mammoth, and real estate ownership is public record, and it is not located inside the boundaries of the Superstitions Wilderness Area so finding a new vein in the mine would not be an illegal activity right? Then too if an illegal activity occurred enough years ago that it has been longer than the statute of limitations, it is not prosecutable at this point. Slander and libel have always been tricky, and a point that has been used as a successful defense against such charges in past has been that the person making the slanderous-libel statements believed it to be true, then it is not within the legal definition of those terms. To commit slander and libel is to spread false and damaging information, that is known to be false to the person spreading the info. Cactusjumper's post there reads as gossip, but if Joe believes it to be true then it would fail the slander definition, and I can't see where it is accusing any illegal activity? Maybe I am just confused today. If you could point out the statement(s) you are referring to I would appreciate it.
I am no attorney so don't 'take that to the bank' of course. I have never heard of any successful legal defense based on "Roy Decker told me this was OK!".

Oroblanco