Posted on 06/09/2015 8:11:35 PM PDT by Rusty0604
The Department of Justice has ordered libertarian website Reason.com to turn over the information of six commenters after they made threats against the federal judge who presided over the Silk Road trial.
Ken White of the blog Popehat obtained the grand jury subpoena issued by the Department of Justice last week, which demands "any and all identifying information” the website has pertaining to the threatening commenters. This includes email addresses, telephone numbers, IP addresses, and billing information associated with the accounts.
The Department of Justice declined to explain how, exactly, it was alerted to the threatening comments on Reason.com, but a representative told Motherboard that “the US Marshal Service goal is ensure the safe and secure operation of the federal judiciary.”
As White wrote at Popehat, the subpoena was issued under the same statute at the heart of a Supreme Court case decided last week: a federal law against interstate threats. The Supreme Court reversed an earlier ruling in the case of Elonis v. U.S., saying the government has to prove someone is serious about online threats before convicting them. However, it gave no instruction on how to decide if the threat someone is making is true.
It’s hard to say if the trollish commenters on Reason.com were serious about putting a federal judge "in a wood chipper"—for what it’s worth, White wrote the comments are “very clearly not true threats.” But it’s clear the government is monitoring comments online, at least when they affect powerful federal judges.
(Excerpt) Read more at motherboard.vice.com ...
Withholding my comments.
they can add them to the hundreds of blacks they arrested who have made very threatening remarks against cops and whites in general since trayvon up till now. oh wait...
...cuz if it were not for double standards, there wouldn’t be standards at all.
how long before we’re summoned as traitors to the great state and it cause? or for “hate speech”?
I don’t think the problem is hundreds of blacks being upset about the Trayvon Martin case as much as it is that saying online that you’re upset with the way a trial went could lead to you being investigated by authorities.
Perhaps I should watch my mouth (keyboard) about some of the comments I have made here on Free Republic.
Thought about it; NAHH, F#CK’EM.
its scary.
When the judge in TX put a halt to Obama’s amnesty I wonder if there were any threatening comments made about him on some sites? Hard to believe not.
Skin color has nothing to do with this — even if you are somehow privy to the epidermal intonation of the unknown commenters who are the actual subject of the article.
These stupid sons of bitches want to meddle with fire.
One day , they are going to get burnt.
yeah, cause Reason has a high number of black followers. and i never said they couldn’t be black. i was pointing out the hypocrisy. relax.
Relax? Sure.
In fact, if you’ll knock off the race baiting — I may even go back to sleep.
...after they made threats against the federal judge....
Don't threaten judges in online comments. (Duh!)
Pretty simple, and making such threats only serves one purpose: to put you on the Federal radar.
if you cant see the double standard in the obummer administration, nothing i can say will change that. have a good one.
Does anyone rember when Obola incited violence among a crowd of Holder’s people suggesting they “bring a gun to a knife fight”, in order beat political opposition?
Ummmmmmmm. It’s not an overt threat. Saying and doing are different things. As for the judge. What a piece of filth.
That’s gonna short-dick every libertarian in the Congo.
Say, isn't the Department of Justice the same people who refuse to bring charges against Hillary Clinton and Lois Lerner, despite both of them committing MANY multiple felonies?
Bet you if you looked up "unmitigated gall" in the dictionary, there'd be a picture of the US Justice Department building...
So, let me get this straight:
If a peasant's loved ones are killed by a murdering piece of excrement who gets caught red-handed, it'll take till the 12th of Never to execute said piece of excrement (or 25 years, if at all).
But if some anonymous schmuck on the Interwebs says something Meanie McMeanpants about a feral judge, the gruberment gunbullies are ALL OVER IT, like Obama on a Muslim prayer mat.
Well, whatever Their Lordships want, I guess.
Be sure to tug yer forelock, if you meet them in the street...
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