Interesting, but my first thought would be that assisting in a cover up for financial gain make you a party to the fraud (or whatever the case in question is).
Ah, the Chicago way...
For any number of reasons. In liberal-speak, it's an invasion of privacy...
In reality, it's either theft, an accessory after the fact to a crime, or a bribe to continue on doing illegal acts.
I would throw in indentured servitude as well, such as in the case of pols/bureaucrats acting against their constituencies.
There are many more reasons, of course.
Because the people who make laws tend to have secrets?
“So why is it illegal for me to blackmail you for $10,000? “
Contracts are to be entered into freely and not under coercion. In blackmail, coercion prevents a free contract.
But we really shouldn’t call it “blackmail” - that is stereotype of blacks. Perhaps greymail.
That’s all? Looks like some kind of hoax. A bona fide law professor would give reasons and explanations for what on the face of it seems to be a fairly goofy thing to say.
Blackmail it’s how one gets elected or not.
Is it blackmail if the exposure is planned without profit, but a price is offered for silence?
It is not blackmail when a lawyer signs the letter. “Give us a gazillion bucks or we will sue you for two gazillion!”
Lawyers write blackmail contracts all the time. They are called “Non-disclosure agreements”.
And what is the penalty when members of a political party pressure a candidate to “step aside” because of incriminating details they have in a folder/file?
NEVER are the parties prosecuted for blackmail.
My comment:
Northwestern law professor James Lindgren is a dolt.
“blackmail is unique among major crimes: no one has yet figured out why it ought to be illegal.”
What a moronic statement!
Just my opinion.
“I don’t pay them for sex. I pay them to leave.”
“It’s legal for me to expose your infidelity.”
It’s even legal to make money from the story by selling it to a third party media outlet in exchange for the exclusive information. In that sort of case, it does seem kind of odd I guess.
FReegards
Who cares. If you are morally corrupt to be blackmailed, perhaps you SHOULD be blackmailed. In a free society, I can make money however I like. If I have you committing adultery, it is my RIGHT to ask for monetary compensation from you. If you choose to decline (you right as well), then I have the RIGHT to go sell the rights to somebody willing to pay.
If you have skeleton in your closet, perhaps you should save up some dough to pay off people who see business opportunity there.
Because once a legitimate business transaction is done, it’s done. With blackmail, a person can demand multiple payments for the same non-disclosure. There’s no way to be sure a blackmailer will be “done” with their blackmail.
Even if it involves photos or videos, copies can be made for future blackmailing.
Why is this even considered a paradox?
Because contracts are a “meeting of the minds”.
And the basis of civilized society is that contracts happen only when they are entered “knowingly, willingly, and voluntarily”
Really? Try coercion. You are forcing someone to do something they are not inclined to do under threat.
"Nice business, be a shame if something happen to it".
"Nice family, be a shame if they found out about your mistress."