Court tosses conviction of man who endorsed Bush's death

Associated Press via MercuryNews ^ | Fri, Apr. 08, 2005 | DAVID KRAVETS

[mdittmar]

Mailing a letter to the White House supporting President Bush's death at the hands of terrorists is not illegal, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

The decision overturns the conviction and 18-month sentence given last year to an Oregon inmate who sent a rambling, poorly written letter to the president. It read, in part, "You will die too George W Bush real Soon they Promised That you would Long Live Bin Laden."

[AmishDude]

I wonder what would happen if a similarly-written letter were sent to the 9th circus judges, about the 9th circus judges.

Hmmm...

[wardaddy]

Sure sounds illegal to me.

I know one fella who was once at the Federal prison at Jesup GA who was there precisely for mailing threatening letters to W's daddy.

[muawiyah]

These are the same guys who said the website showing abortionists still in practice, or who died, or who had retired was, in fact, a threat!

[Republican Wildcat]

The snippet of the article doesn't say, but I don't think it would be going out on a limb to assume the appeals court in question is the 9th Circuit...

[Becki]

The same letter to Lord High Chief Justice Greer would land one in the slammer for life.

If I remember correctly, someone has already been charged with threatening Greer and Shiavo.

Becki

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

The same letter to Lord High Chief Justice Greer would land one in the slammer for life.

...WITHOUT food and water.

[sport]

Or to bill clinton.

[lowbridge]

what exactly does the LAW say ?

Article 218: Section 5, Paragraph 2:

You threatened a Republican President, therefore its ok. Just dont do this to a Democrat President.

[yooper]

This nut didn't personally threaten Bush's life, from what I read. He said that Bush would die because the terrorists promised it. Perhaps he's a cagey nut. He writes like he went my high school. If he did go to my high school he's been punished enough.

[mdittmar]

How times haven't changed,

Robert M. La Follette, Jr., U.S. senator of Wisconsin,Offers his support for Roosevelt's(D)"court-packing" proposal.

On February 13, 1937,liberal Republican Senator Robert M. La Follette, Jr. spoke out in support of President Franklin Roosevelt's controversial plan to neutralize Supreme Court justices who were hostile to the New Deal. Over the previous two years, the high court had struck down several key pieces of New Deal legislation on the grounds that the laws delegated an unconstitutional amount of authority to the executive branch and the federal government. Flushed with his landslide re-election in 1936, President Roosevelt issued a proposal in February 1937 to provide retirement at full pay for all members of the court over seventy. If a justice refused to retire, an "assistant" with full voting rights was to be appointed, thus ensuring Roosevelt a liberal majority. Most Republicans and many Democrats in Congress opposed the so-called "court-packing" plan.

"Our constitution is what the justices choose to make it." (February 13, 1937)

They packed the courts with libs back then.

[yooper]

"After two secret servicemen payed his friend a personal visit, the joke was no longer funny. The student never did that again."

When I was in college at MTU, a guy who was butt-wasted at the bar took a dare and threatened Reagan from the pay phone outside. He lasted less than two weeks, and the judge didn't have a sense of humor.

Same school several years later (I was working on my MSCE); the secret service shows up and collars a kid for e-mailing a death threat to Clinton. Turns out the kid got up and left his work station without signing off of his account. He went through hell before he was let go, and the slime that sat down at his terminal and sent the message was never caught.

Lesson? Don't fork with the president, no matter who the president is. And always log off.

[This Just In]

"Don't fork with the president....."

Unfortunately that inmate did, and the "judge" sided in this criminal's favor.

[queenkathy]

That's what I was going to post also. The FBI has arrested a woman for saying she was going to kill MS but someone can threaten our president and it's ok? oh my!

[virgil]

Mathew Hale got 40 years in the slammer. And he didn't do anything to any judge. He didn't directly threaten any judge from what I understand. I want court reform

[freepatriot32]

I want court reform

You and me both but thats will not happen until we get a conservative president and conservatives in the majority of the house and senate. imdoing all i can to make sure that happens by voting straight libertarian ticket from now on just like i did in 2002 and 2004

[pollywog]

The same letter to Lord High Chief Justice Greer would land one in the slammer for life.

I'm telling ya, YOU are SO RIGHT. We are one messed up society!!!!!!!!

[pollywog]

9th Circus?

Yes. Unanimous 3-clown panel

Can anyone here see the need for JUDICIAL OVERHAUL?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hattend]

I assume this guy will be forever watched by the secret service and with a little luck he'll step over the line and get himself into real trouble that he can't weasel out of.

Is this guy already in prison? Is he in there for this threat or did he write the letter from prison?

Journalism degree....pfttt!

[zip]

It's been a pretty long time since that was important.

Tragically true.

[Celtic Rose]

yep, the circle where traitors go, sounds about right. Threatening the president, or encouraging those that do sounds treasonous to me.