By LawInspectsYes, it is illegal to threaten someone right here in the United States. And we get it, like, pretty much everyone’s blurted out something in anger they didn’t really mean, you know. But the thing is, it is the distinction that you should know, like when those words actually turn illegal, right? Surely, as per the laws right here in the United States, you have the right to speak whatever you want, but there is a limit to it, especially when you try to threaten someone.
But to tell you in short, well, a real threat isn’t just nasty words. It’s when you scare the heck out of someone, making them think you’re really gonna hurt them. That’s what we mean by threatening someone, and that is absolutely illegal. Let’s talk about it a little more so you can understand it in a much better way.
What Makes a Threat Real for the Law?
Well, first of all, to put it out of the way, you see, so not every threat’s the same, you know. What? It is true that the law checks out a few key things to figure out if what you said was a real threat or just mad words that you said out loud in anger, or just being annoyed. So it is the intent that matters here.
- So, first, did you really mean it? Like, if you told someone you’d hurt them, did you really want them to take it seriously? And this is what matters a lot actually!
- Second, did you know your words would freak someone out? Like, did you actually intend to freak out someone with your words and make them worry about physically getting hurt?
- Third, could you actually do what you said? Like, were you right there in front of them when you said it, or just typing online from a zillion miles away, you know? This is somewhat really possible, and courts look into it as well.
- And last, how did they feel about it? If they were truly scared and thought they were in danger, well, sure enough, in the eyes of the law, that counts big time, for sure.
Is Threatening the President or Big Officials a Bigger Deal?
Without a single doubt! It is a big deal, big time. No two ways about that! Keep in mind, we’re talking about the President of the United States here, and other than that, it is absolutely illegal to threaten big government officials as well. Unlike in most cases where you just threaten a regular person, when you threaten an important person like a President or Vice President, in that case, the whole thing is handled by the Secret Service or FBI. And sure enough, it can very well lead to a full-blown investigation on you if you were the one to threaten them online or in real life.
Like, oftentimes you must have seen people talk mean stuff about Presidents in protests and all that, but we’ll still advise you to keep some control over your words because if you go too far, it’ll definitely be counted as illegal, especially if you’re threatening to harm or kill the president.