Is this blackmail?

Someone I know who was in a very bad way after losing his job two years ago wrote a $1000 check that didn't clear. Yes, that's inexcusable, but the guy was barely eating and didn't even have a car to sleep in.

This spring, the business got a default judgment against the check writer because he had left the state to look for work and didn't appear at a hearing.

The check writer is working 14 hours a day to build an Internet business after not being able to find work in his own field in this economy.

Now, today, the check writer got an e-mail from the businessman threatening to send copies of the court judgment to people the check writer is developing as business clients -- to post this all over the Internet if payment in full is not forthcoming. He also threatened to send the court papers to the local sheriff where the check writer lives.

Is this legit? Can someone who won a judgment threaten to ruin the business of the defendant? Can the plaintiff take his own actions? Especially when the jurisdictions are thousands of miles apart?

The check writer has every intention of taking care of this but has no ability to do so immediately.

Hell if they act like that Id send them $5 a month!!!They cannot refuse it so long as you are making an attempt and anything that would continue after that could result in slander or defamation of character im sure...

:hi:

and I dont blame them. If someone stole $1,000 from me, no matter what their own life circumstances were, I would be pretty pissed too. Especially since it doesnt seem that getting a judgement against him has even helped.

Blackmail is illegal, but I dont know if this qualifies as such. He cant really sue the business owner for libel if he follows through, because it would not be false.

Invasion of privacy, maybe? I think California prohibits business owners from posting bad checks publicly, but I dont know about the any other states. I see checks hanging on cash registers all the time.


I think it would be in the guys best interest to borrow the money somehow to pay back the money he stole to be sure his name isn't drug through the mud.

on edit: The business owner might be bluffing. How would he know who the guy is attempting to do business with??