From a reader:

I just saw Tim Graham in the Corner write that Clinton’s settlement w/ Paula Jones is an admission of guilt. I’ve seen this stated in the Corner several times now.
While I dislike Clinton as much as the next guy, as a civil defense attorney, I must take umbrage with the use of “admission of guilt” in regards to a lawsuit settlement. That simply is not true. I may believe Clinton is guilty, but it is unfair to claim that a lawsuit settlement is an admission of guilt. Many, many, many defendants in civil suits settle for a large variety of reasons, such as: the cost of litigation is more than the settlement, the jurisdiction the case is in may have very liberal juries that will vote to award anyone anything, the judge may not be particularly good and cause you concerns, or even public relations concerns. If all settlements were seen as “admissions of guilt” as the Corner implies, defendants would not be able to make economic or strategic decisions regarding lawsuits.