Online Call To Shoot President Ruled Free Speech

[ElNono]

"USA Today reports that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed the conviction (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/07/man-who-threatened-obama-has-conviction-reversed/1?csp=34news) of a man who threatened to shoot President Obama, saying his Internet message board comments amounted to free speech and ruled that prosecutors 'failed to present sufficient evidence to establish beyond a reasonable doubt' that the man 'had the subjective intent to threaten a presidential candidate.' Walter Bagdasarian was found guilty two years ago of making threats against the presidential candidate in comments he posted on a Yahoo.com financial website after 1 am on Oct. 22, 2008, as Obama's impending victory in the race for the White House was becoming apparent. Bagdasarian told investigators he was drunk at the time. The observation that Obama 'will have a 50 cal in the head soon' and a call to 'shoot the [racist slur]' weren't violations of the law under which Bagdasarian was convicted because the statute doesn't criminalize 'predictions or exhortations to others to injure or kill the president (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/online-call-to-shoot-obama-was-free-speech-not-a-crime-appeals-court-rules.html),' said the majority opinion, written by Judge Stephen Reinhardt."

[DMX7]

Yahoo provided Bagdasarian's subscriber information to investigators, who raided his house and seized six guns and a hard drive containing an email with similar sentiments.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/07/man-who-threatened-obama-has-conviction-reversed/1?csp=34news

[Winehole23]

Yahoo ratted their customer. Tough world.

[jack sommerset]

That's the world we live in now. Only take someone serious if they actually do it.

[Blake]

That's the world we live in now. Only take someone serious if they actually do it.

or if they actually say that they themselves are specifically going to kill the potus.

[boutons_deux]

"locked and loaded", "reload, don't retreat", that's how violent, murderous, imperial America rolls.

[Oh, Gee!!]

I bet Walter's a real hoot when he's drunk.

[jack sommerset]

or if they actually say that they themselves are specifically going to kill the potus.

Just so I am clear, if you say you are going to kill someone you should be held accountable by some sort of law. Especially the President, even if he is a lying douchebag like the current one we have.

[Blake]

Just so I am clear, if you say you are going to kill someone you should be held accountable by some sort of law. Especially the President, even if he is a lying douchebag like the current one we have.

I was originally saying "they should also be taken seriously", but yeah, I'm good with the laws we have concerning death threats.