Judge Refuses To Dismiss League of Legends Terrorist Threat Case

[AngryPuppy]

Any one of the people saying this boy got what he deserved, I really hope you never lost your temper and screamed at someone or made a sarcastic comment/tasteless joke to your friends or online or else you better turn yourselves in to the Police. You deserve the same punishment this boy got.

 

[Your Fearless Captain]

Serves that little shit right. Tasteless jokes in private are one thing, tasteless jokes on a platform that is known for ruining lifes is just stupid.

That is an objectively shitty opinion. When someone says "still beating hearts" they are clearly joking in nearly any context. This entire thing is fucking insane. Things a hundred times worse are said every second on the internet and no one gives half a fuck about that so why single out this one guy? Because fuck logic! If he is convicted and sentenced to 8 years or even convicted at all that opens the flood gates for thousands of similarly insane suits. This is no way a good thing in anyway at all.

EDIT:

Any long period of time in big-boy prison will absolutely ruin his life. Even if he gets off with a tiny sentence length, he still has to live as a convicted felon forever. He made a terrible joke, and I know that the "stone-hearted uncaring pillar of justice" thing is a fun role to play on the internet, but that's a real person you guys are talking about.

This one thousand times.

 

[Alarien]

I think six months serving as after-school janitor sounds just about right.

Punishment well deserved, but prison is just stupid.

 

[auron200004]

So let's get this straight because based on the responses in this thread, I must be overlooking something.

1. Kid is called "crazy" for something or whatever in a LoL game on Facebook.
2. Kid, making an off-color sarcastic response to this, says that he's going to (along the lines of) "Shoot a school and eat their still-beating hearts" followed by "lol" and "jk"
3. Possible 8 years in prison.

Now, let's see here, where do I get lost? Because as far as this looks to me, this is a trigger-happy justice system that lets off people constantly for doing much worse with no jail time jumping on some kid because they're enormously stupid or bored.

Seriously, even the people who are saying that he deserves "some punishment" for this other than a fucking slap on the wrist* make me sick. He didn't even say some inappropriate threat! He made a sarcastic quip to another person's statement!

Seriously, where did I get lost? I must be missing something here.



*Which would be for what? "Don't make jokes that could be misinterpreted you cheeky kid"?

 

[solemnwar]

I think maybe a few months to a year of community service is the most he should get. Or maybe a mandatory course in sensitivity training, idk. But jail time? Even for me, who finds the idea of making threats as a "joke" to be an abhorrent practice, that's way too much.

 

[DragonStorm247]

I think we can all agree that it was not serious/sarcasm, not an actual terrorist threat. As long as that point is settled, then it does not matter whether or not you think it was a tasteful comment; a government has no right in this area.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I find this very disappointing. The kid made a very bad judgment call. But to waste tax payer money throwing the book at him like this? If you really need to throw the book at him, make him do community service. Jail time for a stupid comment he made is a waste of everyone's time, especially when he added the lol and jk at the end.

Meanwhile, the two girls who bullied a girl until she killed herself, and then posted messages saying "IDGAF" get off with simple therapy. Yeah, the justice system is totally balanced and fair...

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I find this very disappointing. The kid made a very bad judgment call. But to waste tax payer money throwing the book at him like this? If you really need to throw the book at him, make him do community service. Jail time for a stupid comment he made is a waste of everyone's time, especially when he added the lol and jk at the end.

Meanwhile, the two girls who bullied a girl until she killed herself, and then posted messages saying "IDGAF" get off with simple therapy. Yeah, the justice system is totally balanced and fair...

 

[loa]

The victim blaming is strong in this thread.
Fuck people.

 

[Vivi22]

I don't feel that the internet could or should be a place that anyone can say anything without consequence, and with that said, I don't feel that this act should go without consequence. A jail sentence that long is a bit excessive, but SOMETHING should happen, and an example should be made.

Why? Because how else are we going to be able to tell the people who are serious from the people who are "jk". School shootings are happening at an increasing number. This is a new reality. If someone makes a threat like this, we need to be able to respond to it and make sure that another tally isn't added to the list.

So... don't say stupid shit to get attention on the internet. You're not funny. You're not "Cool". You're a fucking asshole who deserves to be punished.

The guy may be an idiot, but nothing should happen in the courts because what he did isn't actually a crime. There was no specific threat made, and it's pretty clear in the context of when and where he said it that he wasn't seriously threatening to shoot up a school.

If authorities were concerned, at most what could be justified (depending on the laws where he lives) is a sit down chat with a psychologist.

If he had actually been threatening someone, then it would be a crime and it would make sense for the courts to step in. But he didn't, so it doesn't. And the fact that someone had to post $500,000 bail, that he was in jail that long, that his case wasn't dismissed, and the fact that he could be facing 8 years is absolutely laughable.

Too many people confuse people doing something they don't like with committing an actual crime. What he's been put through based on those statements alone is ridiculous and I hope he gets a trial soon so he can be found not guilty, or at least get a guilty verdict overturned on appeal since such a verdict is not justified. Then he can feel free to sue the state for wasting his, and everyone elses, time.

 

[Vivi22]

what he said was unlawful

No it wasn't. It really, truly wasn't. But most people wouldn't know it because they don't actually know anything about the law.

Hell, the Supreme Court itself even upheld that threats made in jest are not criminal. It should have been a simple matter for anyone to investigate this and see there's no actual case. But mention terrorism in America and civil rights and the law tend to fly out of the window.

It is literally appalling that people would argue in favour of "making an example" of this kid when he committed no crime.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

I don't feel that the internet could or should be a place that anyone can say anything without consequence, and with that said, I don't feel that this act should go without consequence. A jail sentence that long is a bit excessive, but SOMETHING should happen, and an example should be made.

Oh, so "SOMETHING" should happen? Does being thrown in jail for several months count as "something"? Does being beaten and raped to the point of needing to be put into solitary confinement for your own safety count as "something"? Does being driven to suicide because of said treatment in jail to the point where you're on suicide watch count as "something"? This kid has suffered worse in the past 9 months than you ever will in your entire life.

"Something" has already been done. This poor kid is already going to have to struggle to put some semblance of a life back together, and that's IF he doesn't have to do 8 years in jail.

 

[Balimaar]

So next time an American person says to me that he will rape my entire family and burn my house and the houses of all my relatives down... I can have him arrested?

Tomorrow's headline:

Half the Online Population of the USA is in Prison

 

[VoidWanderer]

/Sigh

This is probably some DA who still believes that 'video games are bad' despite ALL OF THE EVIDENCE opposing this.

But given how often schools are apparently shot up in America, his comment was in extremely poor taste.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

And this is why you shouldn't be stupid.
Don't be stupid people.

oh, let's dare to be stupid.


I will point out that this kid only made threats and is facing eight years in jail.


In Texas, a sixteen year old killed four people, caused severe brain injury to another while drunk driving.

HE GOT PROBATION.

why? because he has 'affluezna', the idea that he was too rich to know the difference between good and bad.


this is the U.S. Judicial system people. kill four people and you can get off scott free if you have money, make a off-color joke and you can end up in jail for eight years.

The only reason he got probation was because he was a minor. He legally couldn't get more then that.

There are instances that juveniles can be tried as adults. That situation is one that probably should have been taken beyond family court. Also considering the kid was 16 it was a good candidate for a waiver to make it a criminal court case. I personally think that Judge was a moron and that case should have been in criminal court not juvenile/family court. 16 or 26, irresponsible drunk driving that results in death is a criminal offense and there's no excuse for age there. Just because someone is a minor doesn't mean they can't be tried as an adult if the situation warrants.
So yeah, the law is flexible so as to allow certain instances to be tried where they should be, and the leniency on the part of this Judge was absolutely irresponsible because it devalued the 4 lives this kid ended because of his irresponsibility. Age had nothing to do with it.