Lance Armstrong faces trial for criminal defamation

[Thom Little]

Lance Armstrong, seven-times winner of the Tour de France and one of the world's most successful and admired sportsmen, will go on trial in Italy on 7 March for criminal defamation, a charge that carries a maximum six-year prison sentence.

The court hearing in the southern town of Latina, which was scheduled last week, has dealt a blow to the image of the sporting superstar and revived unhappy memories of doping controversies that Mr Armstrong never succeeded in shrugging off, despite his retirement from professional cycling last summer.

Mr Armstrong is being sued by an Italian cyclist, Filippo Simeoni, who was the key witness in the doping trial of an Italian doctor, Michele Ferrari, who had worked with the Texan racer.

The case hinges on an interview Mr Armstrong gave to the French newspaper Le Monde two years ago, in which he accused Mr Simeoni of lying.



http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10360502

[Poll_Blind]

1. Hero or Hitler- you commit a crime you do the time. n/t

PB

[jbnow]

17. I'm having trouble

understanding the crime.

If Lance thought he was lying and said so, he might be wrong, but the crime feature eludes me.
We can assume Lance might have thought the guy was lying since they gave conflicting testimony on a case. If he said he thought the guy was telling the truth when asked about it, wouldn't that be calling himself a liar?

And what if he said the guy was ugly or stupid? What are the limits of this crime?

Why would he assume his troubles following that time were because of what Lance said and not because of the testimony he gave or how he got along with people or whatever.

I don't get it.
If you do the crime you do the time, but what makes this a crime?

[Eric J in MN]

19. In the US, slander is a civil matter. You can't go to prison for it.

It should be that way in other countries.

[RagingInMiami]

2. Does that mean everybody needs to throw out those damn yellow bracelets?

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. LOL! I lost interest in him when he rode with Chimpy while Cindy was

camped out in that ditch. Lance lost me at that point. Sorry.......:-(

[RagingInMiami]

5. Looks like anybody who associates with chimpy ends up on trial

for one reason or another.

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. As it should be! Wrong is just wrong! nt

[rog]

9. So, the verdict precedes the trial?

From the end of the article:

Lance Armstrong himself addressed the issue, which was revived by the French sports newspaper L'Equipe in August, in a television advertisement that he made for Nike in 2000: "Everybody wants to know what I'm on. What am I on? I'm on my bike, busting my ass six hours a day. What are you on?"

He is probably the most tested athlete in the history of sport and has never failed a drugs test.

"It's pure fantasy to suggest that he could be sent to prison," said his lawyer, Enrico Nan.

"Italy's prisons would be overflowing if you could be jailed for calling someone a liar."

This sounds like a "vanity" lawsuit on the part of Simeoni.

Mr Napoleone said Mr Simeoni had been ostracised and insulted by colleagues as a result of the doping controversy and had suffered professionally because of his testimony at Dr Ferrari's trial, adding: "He would be prepared to accept an apology from Armstrong. Our intentions are not vexatious."

Edited to add that it looks like this is just a hearing ... it hasn't actually been brought to trial at this stage.

"Armstrong is not obliged to attend the hearing, but I imagine he will want to come and say something in his defence."

.rog.

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. Hey I don't like the guy, and it stems from him associating with bush!

That's my main gripe with lance! Whatever else he did, so be it! I couldn't care less!

[rog]

16. I tend to lean just a bit in that direction, too.

But I'm still a "Lance fan." Really, the guy is just a jock. He's an inspiring cyclist and that's all I really expect from him.

I'm disappointed that he didn't at least take a spin past Camp Casey while he was in the neighborhood. I think he should have, and I half expected him to do it. As far as "associating with Bush" is concerned, he was only seen with him during that one photo-op, and it was pretty clear that he was schmoozing for some government funding for a very good cause. Unfortunately it's likely he won't get squat ... that's the irony.

But yeah ... I do wish he had payed a visit to Cindy. Too bad.

.rog.

[jobycom]

10. Sorry, that's crap

Armstrong has his own noble agenda. I wish he had the same one I do, but I don't belittle his. Robert Redford appeared on stage with George Bush last week. Is he a bad man, now? How about Bill Clinton? Bono? What if Bush actually did meet with Cindy? Would you turn on her, too? Lance uses what he has to get what he can for a cause he believes in. A good cause. He's still a hero in my book.

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. Well whatever! To each his own! Happy days!

Love ya! LOL !

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. Crap? I wasn't attacking you personally. I think my opinion is valid as

is yours. Have a nice day!

[jobycom]

20. I wasn't attacking you personally, I was saying the opinion you expressed

was crap. It is. Have a beautiful evening, my friend.

[SammyWinstonJack]

21. touche!

Have a beautiful day! Crap is as crap does! :-) We all have our opinions!

[Carolab]

12. Lost me then too. And so did Sheryl Crow. n/t

[Sydnie]

4. Didn't that happen when he went for his ride with blivet**?

We buried my brother with one at the beginning of August ... before the ride with blivet**. If I could afford it, I would dig him up and take it off him.

[RagingInMiami]

6. I'm not sure

But people are still wearing them. I think people wear them because everybody else wears them. Most people probaby have no clue what it represents.

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. most people are clueless and happy too be so.

:-(

[pop goes the weasel]

11. and whatever you do, don't donate to cancer research

Gad. The man was trying to hit up idiot son for more federal funding to combat cancer. Is he supposed to wait until there's a better president before trying?

[RagingInMiami]

18. It's a great cause

But those yellow bands just annoyed me just as any trend annoys me.