Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Prosecuted For Critical Twittering

Posted by Soulskill on from the tweets-are-for-jailbirds dept.

lee1 writes "The Electronic Frontier Foundation is trying to urge a federal court (PDF) to block what they claim is the unconstitutional use of the federal anti-stalking law to prosecute a man for posting criticism of a public figure to Twitter. The law was originally targeted against crossing state lines for the purpose of stalking, but was modified in 2005 to make the 'intentional infliction of emotional distress' by the use of 'any interactive computer service' a crime. The prosecution's theory in this case is that using Twitter to criticize a public figure can be a criminal act if the person's feelings are hurt."

7 of 334 comments (clear)

  1. Help, help, I'm being oppressed! by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm suing all of Slashdot for imposing years of emotional distress on me every April 1st. I'll settle for no less than $1 million and a public flogging of kdawson.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Help, help, I'm being oppressed! by Toe,+The · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm suing you for the emotional duress of making me consider that /.'s April Fools jokes aren't funny. How dare you criticize my sense of humor??

  2. Haha by afidel · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I swear the prosecution must not like the law because that's an obvious setup to have it struck down on first amendment grounds. It's like the perfect test case to get the law thrown out, especially with the current supreme court and their love of allowing anything under the auspices of political speech.

    --
    There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
  3. Hmm by girlintraining · · Score: 4, Funny

    Your favorite band sucks. Yo mamma so fat. You're stupid, retarded, a pathetic waste of oxygen! You're so--hangon a sec, gotta get the door...

    --
    #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
  4. Re:is it slander? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Even if it's slander it can't be a crime, as slander is a civil matter not a criminal one.

  5. More details: by arnott · · Score: 5, Informative

    In February, William Lawrence Cassidy was indicted for interstate stalking, a felony charge. The indictment stated that Cassidy used Twitter to “engage in a course of contact that caused substantial emotional distress” to an unnamed person.

    According to court documents, the person was Alyce Zeoli, the leader of a Buddhist organization known as Kunzang Palyul Choling. Cassidy was allegedly a member of KPC before having a falling out with Zeoli, who is known as Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo to KPC members. After the split, he began directing several thousand public Twitter messages toward Zeoli, some of which were threatening, according to prosecutors.

    Twitter case

  6. In the words of a wise man... by idontgno · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist."
    --Salman Rushdie

    --
    Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.