League of Legends Player Faces Eight Years For "Terroristic Threats"

[Weaver]

I'm honestly surprised at people who seem perfectly comfortable with the idea that we now live in a "be careful what you say" society. This kid - and he is a kid - spends three months in jail and faces a longer sentence than some killers simply because we are too afraid to make a call between a genuine threat and shit-talk on the internet, and this is somehow okay?

I'm with you 100% on this, Andy.
The number of empty threats, trash talk and basically awful things said on the internet is extremely high and all of it that I've experienced has culminated to absolutely nothing. It's like this society would take "A Modest Proposal" at face value and lock up Jonathan Swift as a baby eater.

Most criminals don't advertise their crimes on Facebook prior to committing them. If the police did any actual investigation I'm sure any level headed person would conclude he's essentially harmless.

More to the point, look at the things comedians have said on stage. They can say whatever they want, even if the believe it, because it's done under the guise of comedy and entertainment. They might catch social flack, like for making a rape joke; but police don't arrest them because they're probably rapists, because they're probably not.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I'm honestly surprised at people who seem perfectly comfortable with the idea that we now live in a "be careful what you say" society. This kid - and he is a kid - spends three months in jail and faces a longer sentence than some killers simply because we are too afraid to make a call between a genuine threat and shit-talk on the internet, and this is somehow okay?

I agree with this. It is getting pretty out of hand. Everyone is a terrorist now. Be nice or go to jail.

 

[DugMachine]

Just wow. The kid is an idiot for saying such a thing don't get me wrong but 8 fucking years?! I really hope he isn't locked up for that long. If he has no history of violence or any evidence pointing toward him actually going through with an attack why would you keep him locked up?

18 yes it's technically an adult but you're practically still a kid. A really dumb and arrogant kid who makes mistakes. Fucking hell, I wish the law would use common sense sometimes.

 

[Frostbite3789]

I'm confused with the inclusion of League of Legends in this article. From what I gather, he was using Facebook whilst playing a league match? I'm not going to get into how much that bother's me in the first place, but instead it seems to be irrelevant. I don't recognize the name of the player, and they don't mention any affiliation he might have, so it seems that he's just happens to play. Also, if an opponent messages you on Facebook, wouldn't they have to actually know you on Facebook? If the actual conversation was shown, instead of an except, maybe I wouldn't be so confused.

Simple, page views. LoL is popular. If this was just an article about reckless speech, nobody would care. I mean, The Escapist does this a lot. Like all the time. Like the article about the PS4 requiring PS+ for online play.

 

[Frostbite3789]

America, land of the free, until you say 1 thing to another in a fit of anger that is clearly a joke, then you get your ass locked up for 3 months, maybe even 8 years, seriously, are you guys for real? next you will be having public hangings if you disagree with the government.

This all took place in Canada. Maybe try reading the article next time? Instead of skimming it and just assuming the rest.

 

[Megalodon]

America, land of the free, until you say 1 thing to another in a fit of anger that is clearly a joke, then you get your ass locked up for 3 months, maybe even 8 years, seriously, are you guys for real? next you will be having public hangings if you disagree with the government.

This all took place in Canada. Maybe try reading the article next time? Instead of skimming it and just assuming the rest.

The women who reported him was from Canada, the poor sod is Texan, according to that article.

On topic:

I'm honestly surprised at people who seem perfectly comfortable with the idea that we now live in a "be careful what you say" society. This kid - and he is a kid - spends three months in jail and faces a longer sentence than some killers simply because we are too afraid to make a call between a genuine threat and shit-talk on the internet, and this is somehow okay?

Pretty much this.

 

[Barciad]

The boy is an idiot, fair enough. He has said some very silly things and that we can all agree on. However, 8 years does seem a bit out of proportion. The thing is, when you look at how effective punishments can be, what you should consider is not the severity, but the consistency. I.e. rather than catch one man out of a thousand and hang him by his entrails for all the world to see, try something different.
Instead have smaller punishments that a dished out to each and every person that crosses the line. This of course is tricky, it requires a clearly defined set of guidelines, an efficient system of detection, and above all, the willpower to carry it through. The last bit in my opinion is the tricky part, consistency requires being firm and never backing down, not once. If you are going to have a system that everyone respects, you need it to be that everyone knows as a matter of fact what will happen if you infringe.

 

[briankoontz]

As Sacha Baron Cohen aptly put it, this is part of the "War of Terror". The point is to terrorize the domestic population, and locking someone away for 8 years for a juvenile comment is effective in achieving that goal.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

If I were the Texan, I'd go straight to the Supreme Court with this. I'd get some ****ing laws repealed if I had to. The NERVE of these people. The Canadian who reported him should get arrested instead for wasting the Judicial system's time.

 

[Agayek]

I'm honestly surprised at people who seem perfectly comfortable with the idea that we now live in a "be careful what you say" society. This kid - and he is a kid - spends three months in jail and faces a longer sentence than some killers simply because we are too afraid to make a call between a genuine threat and shit-talk on the internet, and this is somehow okay?

Amen to that. This kid should never have seen the inside of a cell, ever. It's ludicrous that someone can be arrested for saying something with absolutely no physical evidence he was planning to follow through.

Also, that woman who called it in really should have been fined rather severely for wasting everyone's time.

 

[NickBrahz]

America, land of the free, until you say 1 thing to another in a fit of anger that is clearly a joke, then you get your ass locked up for 3 months, maybe even 8 years, seriously, are you guys for real? next you will be having public hangings if you disagree with the government.

This all took place in Canada. Maybe try reading the article next time? Instead of skimming it and just assuming the rest.

Actually i did read the article and this is what i see:

A Texas teenager has been in jail since March for uttering a terroristic threat while playing League of Legends.

"In light of recent situations, statements such as the one Justin made are taken seriously," an Austin police detective said in a statement

Austin, is in Texas, which is in USA, so by reading that i come to the coclusion that this did take place in USA,

All it says is the lady who called was in Canada, not does this say it took part in Canada, so by going of this article here alone i come to the conclusion that is happened in Austin Texas, USA.

Maybe you try reading the article next time, instead of skimming it and assuming the rest.

 

[sneakypenguin]

This is mystifyingly stupid. Its a inane comment so absurd its clearly meant in jest. Max just send a cop over I don't even think it warrants anything other than looking at a screencap and telling the womon "we're investigating" while rolling their eyes and mentally facepalming.

Stuff like this makes me so mad that i feel I'm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still-beating hearts lol jk. So now all someone has to do is take 5 min to get my address and find a dumb PD/DA to arrest/charge me.

Why did no one in this case use any common sense?! From the arresting officers to the DA all should feel like fools.

 

[Fdzzaigl]

That is seriously the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I've heard dozens of (usually older) people utter far worse threats in real-life situations, let alone the internet. When I was playing WoW a while back I used to hear things like that or worse several times per minute.

Even though I don't condone just threatening people over the internet (it's a true plague nowadays), that Canadian women deserves a foot right up her arse and possibly a court case for privacy infringement herself.

 

[The Funslinger]

On the one hand, that this is happening to a stereotypical vitriolic LoL hatebag is darkly hilarious, but on the other hand, in no just world should saying something with full mock context provided get someone legal retribution when it isn't being done to abuse someone.

I'm torn, becuse on one hand I don't think he really deserves eight years for this, but on the other hand maybe this will force stupid kids to realize that saying moronic shit online has consequences.

I'd say a shorter sentence, since he is a legal adult and you really can't say crap like that, particularly at times like that, but it wasn't a legit threat. Not even on the internet. I'd agree it's a good lesson to kids too. Never and nowhere inside any sort of civilization can you do or say absolutely anything you want. That's just life.

I wouldn't do a prison sentence, personally. I reckon if they really must make an example out of this moron, a fine and being placed on a watch list for two years is plenty. US prisons are overpopulated as it is, and even cutting through all the exaggeration and old wife's tales, aren't the most savory of places.

 

[shrekfan246]

But his father said Justin doesn't keep up with current events and didn't appreciate the significance of his words. "These kids, they don't realize what they're doing. They don't understand the implications. They don't understand public space," he said.

I feel for the dad but the teenager is 18 - that's a legal adult. That means if you break laws, you go to big-boy jail. That's part of the deal, along with getting to buy big-boy booze and vote in big-boy elections. Being an adult means you are responsible for your behavioir in a public space.

Well, except that in the US you can't buy alcohol at eighteen and most eighteen-year-olds aren't educated enough or interested enough in politics that you would want them voting in the first place. Hell, a lot of people reach the age of eighteen while they're still in their last year of high school; Whether it's the age someone becomes a "legal adult" or not they're usually not actually ready for the 'real world'. Sarcastic comments on Facebook shouldn't land them in jail just because we all need to hold our tongues lest we be branded as terrorists.

 

[Epicspoon]

We don't F around in Texas. This poor bastard is going to crucified.

If he was crucified wouldn't that turn him into a martyr?

 

[major_chaos]

I'm honestly surprised at people who seem perfectly comfortable with the idea that we now live in a "be careful what you say" society. This kid - and he is a kid - spends three months in jail and faces a longer sentence than some killers simply because we are too afraid to make a call between a genuine threat and shit-talk on the internet, and this is somehow okay?

I can't speak for anyone else, but personally I'm just tired. The internet has such amazing potential, but shitheads like this kid have made it into a gushing sewage pipe of idiocy and bile, because "lol anonymity means I can say whatever I want" and frankly at this point one of them finding out that's not true is comedy gold.

I'm curious as to why he has been in jail for so long,

The cruel irony of the justice system is that it is so through in its attempts to be fair to everyone that it crunches and grinds along at such a slow pace it actually causes more suffering.

And I gotta love how this turned into yet another America bashing thread like clockwork.

 

[Fdzzaigl]

I'm honestly surprised at people who seem perfectly comfortable with the idea that we now live in a "be careful what you say" society. This kid - and he is a kid - spends three months in jail and faces a longer sentence than some killers simply because we are too afraid to make a call between a genuine threat and shit-talk on the internet, and this is somehow okay?

I can't speak for anyone else, but personally I'm just tired. The internet has such amazing potential, but shitheads like this kid have made it into a gushing sewage pipe of idiocy and bile, because "lol anonymity means I can say whatever I want" and frankly at this point one of them finding out that's not true is comedy gold.

Regardless of his status of internet dick, a frickin simple insult (and heck, this was more of a sarcastic statement) shouldn't grant you any jail time at all, let alone 3 months before you're even tried and a potential 8 years after that.

I even wonder if this isn't violation of the human rights (articles 9 / 10 / 11).