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David Letterman, or Why Extortion Works (Apparently)

Here's what I don't understand about the David Letterman case.

Somebody tries to extort money from you by saying that they'll reveal something you did if you don't comply with their demands.

So you do the right thing, and turn them in. At which point, what you didn't want revealed is not only revealed, but made public record.

Basically, extortion works.

This is why I'm confused.

If David Letterman was being blackmailed because he did something illegal, then I could understand bringing it up in court. Had he not done (illegal activity), he wouldn't be able to be blackmailed in the first place.

He was being extorted, however, because of an embarrassing, but not illegal, matter, and the whole thing was still dragged out in front of the media.

Is this not letting the extortionist win?

Wouldn't there be less instances of this happening if the law were able to make it so that a person's privacy is protected if they're being blackmailed and they decide to come forward?

I understand that in court cases everything has to be put on the table, but why is it relevant to know EXACTLY what he was being blackmailed for? Why can't it just be said that it was something personal and leave it at that? Once it's established that it was nothing illegal, is it even still relevant to the case?

I'm very confused, and I also feel bad that someone has to be put through the ringer first by an extortionist and then by the judicial system itself.

There's gotta be a better way to do this, right?

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