If anyone of us publicly called for the UN to be bombed, we’d be in an interrogation room this very minute.
I forget the charge but something along the lines of “making a terroristic threat”, and I don’t believe the law considers one’s actual ability to execute said threat. This isn’t a 1st Amendment issue. Working for a news org does not give you free reign to say whatever the hell you like.
Consider this; If an FBI agent wanted to arrest this man, the request would get kicked all the way to the top because no one wants to risk their ass, especially on a case that would instantly be dropped once it hits Patel’s desk. Still, I would think someone with authority in NYC would take this seriously.
One more thought, bet money the UN Building is on high alert for stochastic terrorism.
EDIT:
Must not be a federal law, all I’m seeing are state laws. Here’s the criteria from NY State:
INTENT means conscious objective or purpose. Thus, a
person acts with intent to intimidate or coerce a civilian
population, influence the policy of a unit of government by
intimidation or coercion, or affect the conduct of a unit of
government by murder, assassination, or kidnapping, when his or
her conscious objective or purpose is to do so. 4
In order for you to find the defendant guilty of this crime, the
People are required to prove, from all of the evidence in the case,
beyond a reasonable doubt, each of the following two elements:
That on or about (date), in the county of (county), the
defendant (defendant’s name), threatened to commit,
or to cause to be committed, the offense of (specify
offense), thereby causing a reasonable expectation or
fear of the imminent commission of that offense; and
That the defendant did so with the intent to intimidate
or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of
a unit of government by intimidation or coercion, or
affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder,
assassination or kidnapping.
If anyone of us publicly called for the UN to be bombed, we’d be in an interrogation room this very minute.
I forget the charge but something along the lines of “making a terroristic threat”, and I don’t believe the law considers one’s actual ability to execute said threat. This isn’t a 1st Amendment issue. Working for a news org does not give you free reign to say whatever the hell you like.
Consider this; If an FBI agent wanted to arrest this man, the request would get kicked all the way to the top because no one wants to risk their ass, especially on a case that would instantly be dropped once it hits Patel’s desk. Still, I would think someone with authority in NYC would take this seriously.
One more thought, bet money the UN Building is on high alert for stochastic terrorism.
EDIT:
Must not be a federal law, all I’m seeing are state laws. Here’s the criteria from NY State:
That on or about (date), in the county of (county), the defendant (defendant’s name), threatened to commit, or to cause to be committed, the offense of (specify offense), thereby causing a reasonable expectation or fear of the imminent commission of that offense; and
That the defendant did so with the intent to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion, or affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping.
Sounds like he’d slide. :(