To Catch A Predator

There was a SouthPark episode, "Le Petit Tourette", that poked fun at the series "To Catch A Predator". In this particular episode, various characters are seen committing suicide in order to prevent themselves from having to be interviewed by Chris Hansen. The SouthPark episode was hilarious and I highly recommend watching it. However an article I read recently that paralleled certain aspects of the SouthPark episode I found highly disturbing.

"GE's NBC Universal Must Defend Lawsuit Over Sex Predator Show2008-02-26 13:52 (New York)
By David Glovin Feb. 26 (Bloomberg) -- General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal must stand trial in a $100 million lawsuit brought by the sister of a Texas prosecutor who killed himself as a network show was about to film his arrest for soliciting a minor online. The suit in Manhattan federal court followed the 2006 suicide of assistant district attorney Louis Conradt, who shothimself in his home in Terrell, Texas, as police were about to arrest him. Waiting outside his house were an NBC Universal castand crew about to film a segment of ``To Catch a Predator,'' a show that works with local police to catch suspected sex offenders. Patricia Conradt sued, saying the network and its``Dateline NBC'' news show, on which ``To Catch a Predator''airs, is responsible for her brother's death. U.S. District Judge Denny Chin in New York said today that the suit may go forward, though he dismissed some legal claims. By seeking to ``sensationalize'' the arrest of Conradt, 56,``a reasonable jury'' might find that NBC created a``substantial risk of suicide'' and ``engaged in conduct so outrageous and extreme that no civilized society should tolerate it,'' Chin said in a 40-page opinion. The judge, who didn't rule on the merits of the suit, said Conradt is seeking more than $100 million in damages. An NBC Universal spokeswoman didn't immediately return for comment. The case is Conradt v. NBC Universal, 07-cv-6623, U.S.District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
--Editors: Peter Blumberg, Lisa Wolfson."

Why this lawsuit is going to be allowed to go to trial escapes me. "A reasonable jury" would surely agree that NBC did nothing different than say an episode of another live beloved arrest show called "COPS". I wonder why an alleged case of online child solicitation should be any different than an alleged case of battery, noise pollution, or any other "COPS" episode. If the differentiating factor is in this case he committed suicide, I might be inclined to say thank you to NBC. Thank you for keeping scum like this off the streets. Thank you for keeping children safe while surfing the Internet. Thank you for saving tax payers money. I might be so inclined to say these things.

As long as NBC did not pull the trigger. As long as they were only broadcasting the attempted arrest of someone alleged to have committed a crime, I say please stop this waste of tax payer's money. I also say thank you NBC.