We are all screwed.

[Requia ☣]

Apparently New York can be added to the list of states where lying about your name and trolling on the internet is illegal.


http://www.jewlicious.com/2009/03/son-of-norman-golb-arrested-because-of-dead-sea-scrolls-attacks/

The Manhattan DA is alleging that Raphael used aliases to defend his father's theories and attack others (with different theories). To do this, he used internet aliases.
Norman and Raphael Golb

Well, we at Jewlicious have known about this for a long time. We didn't know who was doing it, but after I posted the review of the Scrolls show in San Diego, we were visited by "Charles Gadda" who offered a critique of the show and disagreed with my review. The weird thing is he never saw the exhibition, he just felt confident about attacking it. Soon after Gadda arrived, another new commenter, using the name "Allegro Was Right," posted an incredible essay showing similarities in language between a series of people posting on the internet, including Charles Gadda, who were all posting attacks on Dead Sea Scrolls exhibitions and praising Professor Norman Golb.

Also of note is the increasing rate the traditional media is falling apart, a blog was by far the best source of information on this.

[Disco Pickle]

Raphael Golb is accused of going beyond these internet attacks and actually stealing the identity of one such scholar, Lawrence Schiffman, which is the reason for the criminal charges.

this part stood out to me.

It's still safe to be a troll, but identity theft SHOULD get you raped in a NY jail.

[Requia ☣]

It's possible NY law is different, but the standard legal definition of identity theft requires that the impersonation be used for a crime, all he did with the impersonation is screw up their reputation, this *is* legitimate reason to sue him, but its not criminal.

[Jasper]

There are slander laws, are there not?

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

It's possible NY law is different, but the standard legal definition of identity theft requires that the impersonation be used for a crime, all he did with the impersonation is screw up their reputation, this *is* legitimate reason to sue him, but its not criminal.

We'll have to see what the Judge thinks about it. Dumb move on the part of the troll.

[Requia ☣]

There are slander laws, are there not?

Yes, civil laws, not criminal ones.

[Jasper]

Ah.  Well then yeah, this is bullshit.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Looks like the charges are identity-theft and harassment charges, both of which are criminal in the state of NY.

http://www.idtheftcenter.org/artman2/uploads/1/NewYork20091.pdf

Current Laws: A person is guilty of identity theft when he knowingly and with intent to defraud assumes the identity of another person by presenting himself as that other person;

It goes on to specify different levels of identity theft based on monetary loss, but it concludes with:

All other identity theft crimes are classified as identity theft in the third degree, a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a fine up to $1000.