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Constitutional Law Criminal Law

Court Holds YouTube Rap Video Titled “F+ck The Police” Constituted Terrorist Threat

BREAKING NEWS: If you are stupid enough to upload a video to YouTube in which you threaten to shoot specific police officers (whom you name and who are scheduled to testify in your upcoming criminal trial) you might be labeled a terrorist! At least that’s what an Appellate Court in Pennsylvania told Rashee Beasley last […]

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Constitutional Law Criminal Law Litigation

Supreme Court Ducks Main Issue in Internet Threat Case

The Supreme Court yesterday issued a long awaited decision in Elonis v. United States that failed to address the core issues presented by the case involving harsh language posted on the Internet. Under a 1939 federal criminal statute prohibiting the communication of threats, Anthony Elonis was charged with threatening his wife; a kindergarten class; and […]

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Constitutional Law Criminal Law Entertainment Law Litigation

First Amendment Case is Crash Course in Rap for SCOTUS

Anthony Elonis is a Pennsylvania man convicted of issuing threats to his ex-wife, who had an order of protection against him.  All of the relevant threats were posted on Elonis’ Facebook page and most of them took the form of rap lyrics. He did not tag or link his ex-wife to the posts and he […]