On social media and web forums, users called for jurors, judges and prosecutors to be killed after the former president was found guilty on 34 felony counts.

“We need to identify each juror. Then make them miserable. Maybe even suicidal,” wrote another user on the same forum. “1,000,000 men (armed) need to go to washington and hang everyone. That’s the only solution,” wrote another user. “This s— is out of control.”

“I hope every juror is doxxed and they pay for what they have done,” another user wrote on Trump’s Truth Social platform Thursday. “May God strike them dead. We will on November 5th and they will pay!”

  • credo@lemmy.world
    365·
    6 months ago

    Here is the problem: These people very carefully choose their words. It’s not illegal to “wish” all the jurors are outed, tortured, maimed, and drawn and quartered over a bed of coals- along with their families, neighbors and first grade teachers.

    See that’s all okay to say apparently. This is our legal system. It’s not until they actually say, “I’m going to […],” that LE gets involved. Because none of that other stuff was a direct threat, or intended to incite violence, or intended to instill fear. They were just harmless wishes. Super okay, and nothing to worry about, you see?

    • ZeroCool@vger.socialEnglish
      322·
      6 months ago

      Here is the problem: These people very carefully choose their words.

      This has not been my experience with Trump supporters on the internet. Ever.

      • credo@lemmy.world
        354·
        6 months ago

        This is exactly what they’ve done. Notice everything (except for “make them miserable”, which isn’t inherently illegal…) is placed on “someone else should…”:

        1,000,000 men (armed) need to […]

        I hope every juror is doxxed and they pay […]

        May God strike them dead.

        They know exactly what they are doing. Doing it mafia style, just like dear leader.

        Edit: Idiots downvoting what’s right in their face. Can’t believe facts, only emotions. Just like the idiots following Trump. Idiots are idiots. Here is more evidence for you, on this exact topic from reuters:

        While the posts identified by Reuters all called for violence or insurrection, most fell short of the legal standard for a prosecutable threat, which typically requires evidence that the comment reflects a clear intent to act or instill fear, rather than simply suggesting a frightening outcome.

        https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-supporters-call-riots-violent-retribution-after-verdict-2024-05-31/

        • NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth
          91·
          6 months ago

          Yep, that’s how it tends to work.

          Until you start calling for people to directly start attacking people, then you are allowed freedom of speech.

    • FlowVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
      251·
      6 months ago

      Yes and no.

      There are no “magic words” that make a threat legal. It’s always a question of context.

      For example if Don Corleone came to your business and said “Nice place you got here, would be a shame if it burned down. By the way I happen to sell fire protection”, that would absolutely be illegal even though he never said he would do anything wrong. The intent is clear to all.

      So it doesn’t really matter if someone says “I wish that guy was dead!” vs “I’m going to kill that guy!” Either one can be an illegal true threat, or not, depending on the context.

      • Konala Koala@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        6 months ago

        Well, would that be the same as someone coming on here saying “Nice federated place you got here, would be a shame if it went down. By the way, I happen to sell DDoS protection”?

        • FlowVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
          21·
          6 months ago

          It could be the same, for example if you are talking to Whiterose. It’s always a question of context.