A South Carolina judge has ordered the state attorney general's office to stop pursuing criminal charges against Craigslist.com while a lawsuit related to prostitution ads on the popular classifieds site makes its way through the courts. South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster has threatened criminal action against Craigslist. In statements to the media and on his Web site, South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster has accused Craigslist's operators of not doing enough to eliminate ads soliciting prostitution in accordance with an agreement struck last November with 40 states attorney generals. Earlier this month, McMaster sent a letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster accusing the site of failing to "install sufficient safeguards" to prevent it from being used "as a vehicle to advertise or solicit prostitution."Judge orders AG to refrain from pressing charges pending lawsuit's outcomeCraigslist sued South Carolina attorney general to prevent criminal chargesAttorney General Henry McMaster threatened to prosecute Craigslist for sex adsCraigslist says it has done all it can to reduce number of prostitution ads
The lawsuit contends that, because the site relies on posters for content, _'s threats leave Craigslist with no choice other than to shut down its South Carolina section or face criminal prosecution.