Stardate 20010615.1702 (On Screen): I'm not so sure I think that this woman should be let off so easily, plea bargain or no plea bargain. I was thinking to myself today, "What is the highest possible crime?" And it became obvious: treason. The most obvious alternative, murder, isn't as serious. A murderer may destroy the lives of one, or a few, or a few dozens of fellow citizens, but a traitor imperils the lives and well being of every citizen of the state, and could cause a war which might cost the lives of millions of them to preserve that state. So in that same vein, illegal acts which subvert the election process are much worse than those which do not. But no-one asked my opinion.
Still, while this woman may get off easy on criminal charges, the candidate she libeled is probably going to sue her tail feathers off. The evidence of libel and her commission of it, as determined by the government investigation, can be introduced in any civil trial, and he's not going to have any trouble demonstrating malice. (discuss)
