Parliament member Zmago Jelincic alleged that American school teacher James Smoot defamed him in a newspaper editorial and also offended the nation’s desire for the independence and self-preservation which according to Article 169 of the Slovenian penal code, was punishable by up to three months in prison and when the insult is delivered through the mass media, punishment up to six months. Smoot describes how he escaped this bizarre but common defamation suit... with much less respect for Slovene law.