Good for you, you were way

artappraiser — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 23:52:30 +0000

In reply to Not that anyone is reading

Good for you, you were way ahead of us seeing the problems--and that is probably part of the problem regarding us--as you had been thinking on it longer, you start out talking about Miranda, and us just getting cognizant about it all did not see the connection and might have thought it was just a post about Miranda.

Not that anyone is reading

Richard Day — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:11:34 +0000

In reply to Arlington Man Loses Gun License Due To Blog About Tucson Shooting

Not that anyone is reading this post but I do discuss this mess:

http://dagblog.com/reader-blogs/miranda-8672

Your last link, which I

artappraiser — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:30:30 +0000

In reply to Wow. Thanks for this ArtA.

Your last link, which I missed the last go round, says

Threatening a federal official is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Sounds like they don't care which "wires" you use. And whether or not its the case that they are amping up prosecution or have been doing it all along, it's clear in both press releases that they are making linkage in the p.r. to the Arizona story.

As to internet posts vs. email/phone there is the one difference that the former is public speech. Which gets into the issue of agitating others to violence. At the same time, the more public it is, the more complaintants and witnesses. These two are very blatant cases, i.e., "I'm going to kill you," but it's easy to see the problem of "what really constitutes a threat?" coming down the line. In the past, we haven't a tradition of criminal prosecution for verbal abuse. I am reminded of this:

In most episodes, Ralph's short temper got the best of him, leading him to yell at others and to threaten physical violence, particularly against Alice. Ralph's favorite threats to her were "One of these days ... one of these days ... Pow! Right in the kisser!" or to knock her "to the Moon, Alice!" (Sometimes this last threat was simply abbreviated: "Bang, zoom!")

Wow. Thanks for this ArtA.

seashell — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 06:58:54 +0000

In reply to I saw this mentioned on the

Wow. Thanks for this ArtA. What the press release doesn't tell you, but the actual complaint against him does, is that McCrudden was sending the emails and posting to the website from Singapore much of the time. Wonder if he felt safer there.

Interesting question about what if the Arlington guy didn't have any guns. As it is, he hasn't been arrested nor does he face any charges.

The length of the suspension, or whether Corcoran’s license will be revoked will be determined by the outcome of the investigation.

In this case, I'm guessing the gun laws in Massachusetts allow for this type of suspension and investigation by the local police. I'm not so sure the same could be said for Arizona's and other state laws.

But when I think about it, what's the difference between threatening phone calls and threatening emails or internet posts?

I saw this mentioned on the

artappraiser — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 04:49:37 +0000

In reply to Arlington Man Loses Gun License Due To Blog About Tucson Shooting

I saw this mentioned on the tube somewhere flipping around. It was eerie because just yesterday, when I went to the FBI's site looking for any news they might have up on the Spokane bomb story, I ran across the following which is about a prosecution for threatening government officials via websites and email

It's @ http://newyork.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel11/nyfo011411a.htm

but I am pasting the whole thing as it's a press release:

Department of Justice Press Release
For Immediate Release
January 14, 2011
United States Attorney's Office
Eastern District of New York
Contact: (718) 254-7000
Commodities Trader Arrested for Threatening to Kill Government Officials
Vincent McCrudden, a former commodities trader, was charged in federal court today with two counts of transmitting threats to kill 47 current and former officials of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"), the National Futures Association ("NFA"), and the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC").¹ McCrudden's initial appearance is scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge E. Thomas Boyle at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York. The charges were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Lanny A. Breuer, Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division, United States Department of Justice; and Janice K. Fedarcyk, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office.

According to the criminal complaint, which was unsealed today, McCrudden sent several e-mails threatening violence against employees of the CFTC and NFA. For example, on September 30, 2010, he allegedly sent an e-mail to an employee of the NFA stating that "it wasn't ever a question of 'if' I was going to kill you, it was just a question of when. And now, that question has been answered. You are going to die a painful death." In addition to sending threatening e-mails, the defendant posted threats on a website that he operated. On one of those website pages, the defendant invited others to "[g]o buy a gun" and take back the country and stated that he would be the first one to lead by example. On another page on his website, the defendant included an "Execution List" with the names of 47 current and former officials of the SEC, FINRA, NFA, and CFTC. That list included the chairperson of the SEC, the chairman of the CFTC, a former acting chairman and commissioner of the CFTC, the chairman and CEO of FINRA, the former chief of enforcement at FINRA, and other employees of the NFA and CFTC. The defendant wrote that "[t]hese people have got to go. And I need your help, there are just too many for me alone." Finally, the defendant posted a $100,000 reward on his website for personal information of several government officials and proof that those officials were punished. According to the complaint, McCrudden started making these threats shortly after the CFTC filed a civil enforcement suit against him in early December, 2010. The complaint alleged that McCrudden has been the subject of various enforcement or disciplinary proceedings at the NFA, FINRA, and the CFTC for several years.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment on each of the two counts.

"In this day and age, there is no such thing as an idle threat," stated United States Attorney Lynch. "Those who threaten injury or worse to the lives of others will be promptly investigated and vigorously prosecuted." Ms. Lynch expressed her grateful appreciation to the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, for its cooperation and assistance in the investigation. Ms. Lynch added that the government's investigation is continuing.

Assistant Attorney General Breuer stated, "The Department of Justice takes very seriously the allegations in the complaint against Mr. McCrudden that was unsealed today. Threats of death and violence against federal officials and employees for executing their duties are simply unacceptable."

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Fedarcyk stated, "Overt threats of the sort made by this defendant must be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. The threats were direct, extreme, and specific, vowing to kill securities regulators and encouraging others to do the same. The allegations, coming as they do during a period of national mourning in the wake of horrific violence done to public officials and others, are especially troubling."

Assistance was provided in this investigation and arrest by the Federal Protective Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Suffolk County Police and the Port Authority Police Department.

The government's case is being prosecuted by Eastern District of New York Assistant United States Attorneys James McMahon and Christopher Caffarone and Trial Attorney Thomas Dukes of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section in the Department of Justice's Criminal Division. The Office of International Affairs in the Department of Justice's Criminal Division provided assistance in this case.

The Defendant:
VINCENT MCCRUDDEN
Age: 49

¹ The charges announced today are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

It's a very interesting topic about free speech and threats, and law enforcement checking out people based on verbal threats. And questions are only going to grow regarding these issues. For example, what if the guy in the Arlington story didn't end up having any guns?

We are all long accustomed to it not being appropriate to make threats against the president (or likewise, we know not to joke about blowing up airplanes while at the airport.) But until recently, speech threats aren't always taken so seriously unless they result in actions, i.e., threats on the internet not taken seriously until the perp starts with phone calls or standing outside your door as well. It seems that's changing.

BTW, the FBI "news blog"

http://www.fbi.gov/news/news_blog?b_start:int=10&-C=

suprisingly looks like a great place to find undercovered news about a lot of things that might interest blogophere people.

dagblog - Comments for "Arlington Man Loses Gun License Due To Blog About Tucson Shooting"

Good for you, you were way

Not that anyone is reading

Your last link, which I

Wow. Thanks for this ArtA.

I saw this mentioned on the