I know you think you know what you would do in their situation or a similar one. However, you are only thinking of the situation in theory. You are not in fact faced with that decision.
This is much like those of us who have never been in combat speculating on how we would do. You can hope you would perform well. You can never know how will do until faced with the reality.
Similarly, you are not faced with decades in prison. I certainly would not tell you, that you should pay the pest to go way rather than go before a Durham jury.
There are two things I think everyone should realize about such situations:
1. Settlement implies nothing about guilt or innocence.
2. We do not know with certainty what we would do in similar circumstances.
If I am innocent of a slanderous accusation I have nothing to settle with the accuser but the accuser has some settlement to send my way.
You say I cannot say what I would do because it is a hypothetical situation, but then you already told me you know what I would do in hypothetical situation. Think about what you said for a minute.
I have been falsely accused of many things in my life. Please know that I have never backed down and offered any settlement towards those that accused me falsely. Indeed their accusation was met with steadfast resolve.
If you pay someone to stop making false claims then you reward bad behavior that will only seek to beget more bad behavior.
What is truly hypothetical is that you would know better what I would do in a given situation than I would.
You exhibit a notion that money solves everything. You exhibit a mindset that puts truth and honor in the back seat. You have every right to live your life that way if you chose. Please do not make the mistake thinking that everyone else lives their life by these parameteres.
I have, and would again, stand tall against anyone in any situation that was making false claims against me. Let there be no doubt about that. Honor still matters to some folks. It abso-smurfly matters to me.