Judge Refuses To Dismiss League of Legends Terrorist Threat Case

[Something Amyss]

If he is found guilty of this manufactured crime,I will seriously consider moving to Canada soon.

I tell you, if I had a nickel for everyone who threatened to move to Canadia because of something they didn't like, I'd be able to retire to Canadia and live like a queen.

Also, if even half the people did it, I'm pretty sure America would have emptied out four times over by now.

Sort of ironic, though, that the woman who alerted the authorities was from Canadia, eh?

 

[Skratt]

We shouldn't be jailing people for thoughts and things that they say. If it cannot be proven that he possessed the means or desire to carry out his stupid comments, I'd say scaring him is a bit more in line with appropriate than taking 8 years away from his life because he's an ignorant little shit.

I personally find his comments vile, but we also don't lock up members of hate groups who talk about genocide, and yet, we are willing to lock up some stupid 19-year old because he makes casual mockery of events that happened within recent memory. The idea of putting someone into jail for speech alone is reprehensible.

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

Clearly a lot of people on this thread do not understand the concept that punishment has to be proportionate to the crime. Or of "Innocence until proven guily".

Other than the statement the idiot kid made, they have zero proof that he is an actual threat to anyone other than himself, and yet they have treated him like scum before they have eve gotten around to putting him on trial. He has already been raped and put under suicide watch for god's sake, and you think he deserves MORE?!

Seriously, if you honestly believe that, at worst, he deserves any more than the time he has already served, please kill yourself. I am not laughing, or joking. You are a goddamn disgrace to humanity and you don't deserve to live. I mean Jesus H. Fucking Christ, imagine what you evil, sick bastards would be calling for if he committed an ACTUAL crime.

 

[option1soul]

"They didn't do it elsewhere" isn't proof that it's wrong here. That's like saying that personally attacking someone on the Escapist is okay because so-and-so didn't get warned...

...That's where I stopped reading. It's not that I think you don't grasp the situation, or clearly know the difference between word and action, it's that you are just arguing to argue. As much as you claim to know the situation, you're missing the point entirely. This isn't a case about free speech, this was a case about "terrorist action". When we can't say "high school" and "shoot" in the same sentence without being branded terrorists then there's no free speech to debate about.

It's a little disgusting you're defending a system you are so open to admitting it's failures. But that's totally fine, you are entirely welcome to do that.

I mean Jesus... imagine what you evil, sick bastards would be calling for if he committed an ACTUAL crime.

Kinda like that kid who got off after killing 4 people while drunk driving? The innocent are unforgiven for making simple mistakes and people guilty of murder go without consequence.

 

[gnihton]

EDIT// You know what, I don't even care. This is extraordinarily dumb crap anyway, and whoever's responsible is beyond even that.

 

[Ticklefist]

I think being branded a terrorist is what's got most people riled up here. Threats in general tend to be called "terrorist threats" by the courts. I shared plenty of anger management classes with men convicted of making terrorist threats against their girlfriends.

Also, if this kid is actually getting his ass kicked in jail (not prison, he hasn't been convicted of anything) then he's simply an asshole that still hasn't learned to shut his mouth and sucks at making friends.

 

[Something Amyss]

Was the ramifications of what this idiot said a bit extreme?

Yes.

Does that mean he should get a slap on the wrist? Should we throw personal accountability and responsibility out the window so people can feel better about the terrible shit they say on the internet?

No.

What you say has consequences, think about that the next time you threaten people, even in jest.

Dude spent five months in jail with bail that was set well out of his reach, meaning if not for the charity of strangers he'd still be in jail. Nothing he gets at this point could be considered a "slap on the wrist."

 

[Something Amyss]

It's not that I think you don't grasp the situation, or clearly know the difference between word and action,

Though the only reason I brought those up is that you did.

it's that you are just arguing to argue.

What a strange thing to say, when I am merely responding to your accusations and claims. I'm only "arguing" because you were incorrect on several points, not the least of which was your knowledge of free speech. The "argument" only continued because you opted to try and double down and shame me on my lack of understanding of free speech.

As much as you claim to know the situation, you're missing the point entirely. This isn't a case about free speech, this was a case about "terrorist action".

So you're changing your story and your argument. Well, then.

When we can't say "high school" and "shoot" in the same sentence without being branded terrorists then there's no free speech to debate about.

And when you can demonstrate that's true, you'll have an argument. As far as I can tell, this is every bit as hyperbolic as the last line of reasoning you argued.

It's a little disgusting you're defending a system you are so open to admitting it's failures. But that's totally fine, you are entirely welcome to do that.

You're willing to completely lie about what I say to further an argument you completely backtracked on. Taking the moral high ground at this point seems...Silly.

Yeah, let's try this again. I am not defending any system, I am speaking to the reality of the system. There's a large difference. There's no need to conflate the two. Talking to a reality you don't like doesn't mean I'm defending it. Just acknowledging its existence.

Kinda like that kid who got off after killing 4 people while drunk driving? The innocent are unforgiven for making simple mistakes and people guilty of murder go without consequence.

And hello massive false equivalence.

No way do you think this is really the standard.

Edited to fix the accidental quote of infernal lawyer.

 

[MCerberus]

Texas: Murder four people and you get probation and a spa trip. We don't want to be too harsh and ruin a life
Make a tasteless comment on facebook because of some random Canadian woman who wants reward money: 8 years in jail you are scum that will never be a productive member of society

What the hell, Texas?


But seriously, can we, as a society, move past the retributionist mindset for all crime and punishment? It simply doesn't work, and it's cheaper to... you know... help them be a better person. Plus there's a lot of unintended awful side-effects (read: prison industry money). It sticks out like a sore thumb considering that our nation was more-or-less founded around Duty Ethics.

 

[Something Amyss]

I think being branded a terrorist is what's got most people riled up here. Threats in general tend to be called "terrorist threats" by the courts. I shared plenty of anger management classes with men convicted of making terrorist threats against their girlfriends.

In part because "terrorist" is often used differently in a courtroom setting. That's really the problem? All we have to do is explain how a word can be used in multiple ways and people will be okay with this?

Also, if this kid is actually getting his ass kicked in jail (not prison, he hasn't been convicted of anything) then he's simply an asshole that still hasn't learned to shut his mouth and sucks at making friends.

Well, he IS a gamer.

*rimshot*

I kiiiiiid, I kiiiiiiid.

 

[Jack Nief]

While I congratulate the reaction time for something being done on this sort of thing, because Sandy Hook is a horrible tragedy which should never ever be allowed to happen again... but Jesus, if they already confirmed that that kid had no means or even fucking intent of actually hurting anyone, why the hell ruin his life by potentially putting on eight more years of prison!? Psychoanalyze the kid, throw some community service hours at him, slap him on the wrist and kick his ass out the door! Don't fucking RUIN HIS LIFE MORE THAN IT ALREADY IS because he made an utterly tasteless, ignorant and idiotic comment on the internet!

Punish the wicked! Not the wicked stupid!

 

[SadisticFire]

Snip

Give this man a medal. Seriously, who the hell hasn't made tasteless jokes that are borderline or over the line. I've done it multiple times, i'm still here. I havn't hurt anyone, hell, letting myself say those words was probably more safe than forcing me to bite my tongue. What this kid did is tasteless, sure. Bit asshole, sure, but does that mean we have to live under repressive laws for 'safety'?

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

Well holy shit, it seems like half of this thread thinks that people making bad dead baby jokes should face jail time.

Does anyone seriously believe that this was intended as anything other than an attempt at black humor? I mean honestly, eating their still beating hearts? It reeks of a ridiculous hyperbole and sarcasm in every regard. Does anyone actually believe he was going to do that?

Hell, I'd actually feel more convinced that someone wasn't going to go on a school massacre after making a comment like that. Because if they were, then I assume they'd try to be a little more covert about their plans

If anyone actually believes this was a serious threat, please, please explain to me why. I actually cannot fathom how you would.

For those who don't, but still believe that this guy should have his life destroyed over a "tasteless" (honestly, as tasteless goes that is nothing to write home about) Facebook comment... holy shit, why should someone face jail time for an offensive joke?

I can't believe this discussion is being had

 

[Trueflame]

Was it a stupid remark? Yes, incredibly and undeniably so. But was it a credible threat, or meant to intimidate, realistic, probable, or anything else of the sort? Absolutely not. The fact that this case is continuing is already a travesty as far as free speech is concerned, and if he is actually found guilty I will literally have no words to describe my shock and outrage. Not only do I not think he deserves jail time or any punishment for his comment (life would have hopefully taught him to choose his words anyway, and this ordeal certainly has by now), but it will set a very bad precedent if he is convicted.

 

[MahouSniper]

If this kid gets convicted, I might have to go break him out of jail myself. OH WAIT! Saying that is clearly an illegal THREAT! Someone report me, I obviously deserve 8 years of jail time for this blatant and dangerous act of terrorism. Or perhaps the previous statement was sarcasm, not fact. Oh well, better arrest me just to be safe. Guilty until proven innocent, right? JK LOL!

The only terrorism here is the people trying to scare everyone into shutting up and falling in lock-step with what you deem the norm. Just because you think his joke is tasteless and offensive (which I do too, by the way, because it super is) doesn't mean he shouldn't say it. You don't have a right to not be offended. If you're trying to use fear, or dare I say TERROR, to censor sarcasm, you're the terrorists.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

This is ridiculous. It's honestly infuriating to me that people are even saying "LOL HES DUMB SERVES HIM RIGHT." It's a total abuse of power and it makes no fucking sense at all.

Lets just drop the whole pretense that this kid is clearly being sarcastic. Let's take off the "lol, JK" at the end and just assume the absolute worst, that this was typed completely seriously.

"I'm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still-beating hearts" even taken with no sense of sarcasm, is not something a terrorist says. It's something a lunatic says. Why this kid would even questionably face JAIL is beyond me. If ANYTHING he should be sent to an insane asylum until he's deemed fit to reintegrate with society. (which would likely be never if he's constantly garnering plans to consume live hearts out of chest cavities as he stands accused of.)

This is clearly a power play by somebody. Nobody has any reason to honestly believe that this kid had any legitimate intention to shoot up a school. He received half a million dollars in donations for bail. Maybe it's about money. Maybe it's about all the press it's able to garner. Who knows.

And if the whole point is to make an example out of this kid, what message does that send? The USA is a country that will fight tooth and nail to throw you in prison for making a stupid joke on Facebook. Is the prospect of that not fucking scary to anyone else?

 

[PH3NOmenon]

Giving him a couple of hundred hours of community service seems way more reasonable. People pleading for jailtime are, in my opinion, off their rockers.

 

[otakon17]

If he is found guilty of this manufactured crime,I will seriously consider moving to Canada soon.

I tell you, if I had a nickel for everyone who threatened to move to Canadia because of something they didn't like, I'd be able to retire to Canadia and live like a queen.

Also, if even half the people did it, I'm pretty sure America would have emptied out four times over by now.

Sort of ironic, though, that the woman who alerted the authorities was from Canadia, eh?

Yeah, but it's not the Canadian justice system carrying out this farce is it?

 

[RJ 17]

Ahhhh, Facebook. What you've done to the Penny-Arcade "Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory" is simply amazing. You've pulled the "anonymity" part out of the equation, and yet people are still driven to be complete Fuckwads! What's truly hilarious is that by subtracting the anonymity, all of a sudden people actually have to be held accountable for the moronic, asinine things they say...they're no longer just a faceless jackass with some random internet handle for a name.

It's a new age, people, and the Digital Darwin Awards have been going strong thanks to things like Facebook and Twitter. I wonder what the count is on how many people have ruined their own lives because of being complete idiots on social media?

As for the matter at hand: I don't think the jackass should go to jail for 8 years. I'm always one that believes the punishment should fit the crime: ban him from the internet for 8 years. And if he violates that form of probation, THEN you can throw his stupid ass in jail.

 

[A Weakgeek]

You know, if this keeps up, they are going to ruin more lives through over reactions and bullshit convictions than any number of mentally ill students with guns will.

You know what scares me alot more than a kid on facebook (jokingly) threatening to shoot up a school? Reading news that someones goverment would sentence me for 8 years if I were to say that. Its idiotic, unjust, borderline facist and you could argue, state terrorism.

As one who comes from a socialist country (Finland), I can without lying say that in many cases I prefer safety over freedom. But this is disgusting.