NM: Rare Criminal Libel Conviction

A civil rights litigant against the Albuquerque police department was charged with, and convicted of, criminal libel.  If the story is right the charge was based on a letter written by the defendant's attorney, claiming that a particualr officer had committed a series of crimes.  An appeal is planned.  Criminal libel is also big news in Ghana (because of a recent repeal) and Thailand (based on a prosecution). [Jack Chin]