Anonymous Person Posts $500k Bail For Jailed League of Legends Player

An "anonymous good Samaritan" has posted a $500,000 bail to get jailed League of Legends player Justin Carter out of prison, reports MSNBC.

[NatureOfLogic]

That's good. The kid didn't deserve that harsh punishment for something that was clearly overblown.

[HammadTheBeast]

That's complete bullshit actually. There's no reason someone has to pay 500 k to bail a kid out for a joke. It's ridiculous how overblown this is.

[Anthotis]

You're both right.

The good samaritan did a nice thing, but no way should someone be jailed for something like that.

The general scumbag public are to blame for this.

[Mounce]

Yea, and the 500K is likely to go to some bullshit money-grubbing suits in some manner, however the justice system works these days.

The paranoid will likely say the Illuminati, I don't even know. 'Government'.

[Razputin]

You guys are forgetting who to blame here.

Our friendly neighborhood, government of course.

Next thing you know, you won't be able to fart in public because it is Bio-hazard/Chemical warfare.

Ah the good times are coming.

Remember, remember, the 5th of November.

[rdgneoz3]

@Razputin Someone has already been charged for farting...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[nveenio]

I completely disagree. Freedom of speech should not be extended to forcing those who are listening into knowing whether or not someone is joking...especially when the jokes go to anonymous people. I think when people can be proven to have said things like this, a proper investigation should be made, and those people shouldn't be allowed to go running amuck while we try to figure out if they have the intent and the means to carry out their threat/joke. If this was a threat at the President, the government would respond just like they have here, if not worse. And a school full of kindergarteners (of which one of those children is mine) are certainly more valuable than a single life. So the government should take such threats just as seriously, at least.

I've had my life threatened for real. I actually had to go into hiding because the police wouldn't do anything, even though I had evidence of the threat. You all don't realize what it's like to have to pack up your wife and three kids at 4am because someone is on their way to kill you.

If any of you think we should be allowed to make "jokes" about threatening to kill, then you're wrong. Period. It's not a freedom of speech issue. It's a public safety issue.

Make these jokes in privacy. Make them with close friends. But don't go out into public and make that sort of a threat. That's just ridiculous, immature, and insensitive. If you want to live freely, then act like you can handle the freedom responsibly. If you can't handle it, then you're going to forfeit the freedom. This wasn't a 14-year old. This was a 19-year old MAN. A GROWN MAN. He should certainly be expected to act like one. Otherwise, I want him off of my streets and away from my kids.

[WittyAdrian]

@inveni0

You aren't seriously suggesting you "packed up your wife and three kids at 4am" because SOMEONE at the internet said he was going to kill you?! Dude... The amount of times my mother has been defiled, I have been threatened with death, should've committed suicide, got to be the target of a terrible disease. This is the internet!!! If you take every little thing seriously.. You're gonna have a very bad time :P.

[nveenio]

@WittyAdrian

No, of course not. This was a legitimate threat. A "real" person. Someone with both the means and the "perceived motivation" to make such a threat. It was a real threat against me personally.

However, if you compare that threat to the one this man made, he may have had both the means and the motivation to carry it out. And that's why it should be taken seriously.

[WittyAdrian]

@inveni0

Then its even more absurd you are comparing your situation to this one.

First off, this is a kid. A DAMN KID!! Kids say stupid stuff all the time, don't take everything serious. How many times have you said you hated your parents as a kid? Those two persons you'd do everything for in the world if it'd come down to it...
Second, he was never talking about anyone or any group of individuals specifically. He didn't say "oh I'll go to James Woods High and blabla." So there was never any actual threat to anyone.
Third, if this dude had the means to do so then every freaking person has the means to do a lot of bad stuff, most of which they will threaten with on the internet. Does that mean every last thing should be taken seriously and punished by fcking jailtime?!?! NO!! Cause as long as you don't have a VERY good reason to believe the threat is justified (which you might have had, who am I to know) then it's still the internet and people are still saying stupid bullshit. So deal with it.

[rpd123]

@Mounce

You realize you get your bail money back right? Nobody but whoever bailed him out will get it, as long as he shows up to his hearing.

And yeah, this is kind of stupid. At the same time, the kid made a retarded threat right after Newtown when tensions were pretty high. Don't fucking do that. Also, I'd like to know how this isn't excessive bail. 500k for a ridiculous case and somebody who isn't a flight risk is way too much.

[nveenio]

@WittyAdrian

I quit reading when you called him a "kid". He's a legal adult, and he should be expected to behave as such.

And, yes, I WILL deal with it--by supporting the extensive investigation of people who threaten to kill our children in a public forum...even jokingly.

[ravinash]

@ inveni0 - Sorry to hear about your situation. I hope that’s all behind you.

When people make comments like this in a public domain then yes, it needs to be looked into.
But I would expect the people looking into the situations would look at the facts and make appropriate decisions.
Why set bail at $500k for a child or young adult I'll never know.
It does seem that any one who does this sort of thing at the moment are being made an example of. Which I can't say I 100% disagree with because each time this happens, it takes up a lot of time and resources that would be better spent else where.

Should the kid be charged - Yes.
But there was little chance the kid was going to go on the run, so why set it so high to stop him living at home till the trial?

Usually with people this age, once you know they weren't a real threat, taking away their PC and internet access is enough to teach them a lesson.

of course I'm going on the suggestion that this is a kid who just made the comments for the fun of it or to get a reaction. I can't say if there were other details that we don't know about that made the police think he was a real risk.

[fr0sty]

This kid broke no law. There was no specific threat made, only a general joking reference to shooting up some random school. If I say "I'm gonna blow up a building! j/k lol", it's not the same as saying "I'm going to blow up the white house!" (disclaimer to the NSA/DHS/etc., the previous sentence was written as an example only, and is not in any way a threat). There are big differences between the two, one being legal, the other not.

What we have here is what takes place when you let a nation get paranoid. It makes the sheep easier to herd. Everyone will bend over and give up their rights if you just scare em' a little. Look at how many amendments in the bill of rights have been raped since 9/11. 4th amendment is gone with the patriot act, second amendment is under fire, the right to due process is now gone, the supreme court nullified the fifth amendment's right to remain silent by saying silence can be used against you to infer guilt now, unlawful search and seizure is now lawful thanks to the TSA and the NSA archiving every digital communication we make, and the first has been tossed in the trash. Our press is being targeted by our government. Whistleblowers run for their lives after exposing the corruption that isn't obvious to us all (and goes ignored just like the stuff that is obvious, because we're all scared and they're doing it "to protect us").

Now a kid can't even make a joke in a video game without being thrown into solitary confinement for months, beaten, and driven to the point of having to be placed on suicide watch, all before even being given the chance to defend himself in a court of law.

[KaBaW]

@rdgneoz3 - West Virginia. Go figure. Cops suck here, lol.

[Kryptix]

Locking this kid up for doing what he did is very unconstitutional since we're all supposed to be protected by having freedom of speech. If this kid actually had weapons to make it a huge possibility that he's able to do that, then that's something else. We all get immature and it's very generous someoneone posted bail and gave this kid a second chance. How much was he going to serve, 10-15 years in prison? Some people are just tight 4sses and can never take a joke.

[Kurylo3d]

You know what I find scary. If he was joking about shooting some place up before. After this ordeal he may just want to do it for real. I mean come the heck on. Who here hasn't joked about shooting or killing. Lets face it, if you are a gamer... you have. And if you say you haven't. then your a damn liar who wants to put himself on a pedastool. Kids and young adults dont know the law. Hell most of them make blatant threats not knowing its illegal. You should'nt throw the book at them and turn them into real criminals just cause they had a poor choice in humor.

I mean im not saying dont check on the situation, but honestly its getting to the point where your stepping on glass through everything you do in life being careful not to slip up. Its like getting pulled over by a cop. Your hoping you dont say something wrong or look suspiscious. Your hoping you dont get that cop who treats you like dirt cause he can and if you mention a curse word out of anger you get thrown in jail for threatening language. Thats what im afraid of... an absolute police state where everything you do is a mistake waiting to happen that can get you tossed in jail.

[Anon1974]

Really? You really think he was deemed a threat to the public and jailed for months with bail set at $500k because the police based it on just an internet post blown out of proportion? The arresting officers may have overreacted, that could happen, but this went in front of a judge at some point and based on the evidence presented that judge jailed him and set bail at half a million.

There's not doubt in my mind we're not getting the entire story here. Obviously the police aren't in the habit of throwing kids into overcrowded jails for no reason. Even from the initial bail hearing complete court details have not been released. Why did the police, and the court, view the threat as credible? They found no weapons but was he trying to buy them online and failed? Was he researching bomb making equipment and printing out maps of schools in the area? We simply don't know.

All we've got so far is the father's assertion that his son was joking. Do we have so little faith in the justice system that we actually believe a kid can be locked up for one, simple off color post? It's possible this is all a misunderstanding, but I think there's got to be something more in the court documents the police are refusing to release.

Can any of you say you know the exact evidence of what the police have on him, and what the judge saw and not just the kid's father's opinion of what happened, or the tiny bits that the media have pounced on and reported? Those defending him would feel pretty stupid if they found out his seized computer revealed he had every intent to followup on his threats and had been planning this for months.

Let's wait for all the facts to come out.

[SilentNegotiator]

"Do we have so little faith in the justice system that we actually believe a kid can be locked up for one, simple off color post?"

The comment was involving a school not that long after a shooting of a grade school occurred.

Do I think someone picking at that wound could wind up in prison for a simple comment, while people are still terrified and panicky? Yes.

HOWEVER, I *DO* have faith that once he sees trial, he won't be found guilty.

[Bobby Kotex]

Wow you are ridiculously naive.

[Anon1974]

@ SilentNegotiator. I absolutely agree. Of course tensions are heightened when it comes to this type of threat, which no doubt played into his arrest. Then evidence was collected, this went before a judge and that judge set the bail for this nice, white kid with no previous convictions, in Texas, at the same level usually reserved for murders, rapists and firearms offenses.

Look at it this way. One one hand you have police officers and members of the court, professionals there to keep us safe. On the other hand, a kid's father you know nothing about, other than even by his own admission, he's raised a douchebag. If you knew nothing else about this case and the kid was standing in front of you wanting to date your daughter, and the police/judges are telling you "That man is dangerous" and the father is saying "He's not dangerous", who's opinion are you going to go with?

Of course, mistakes happen but given we don't know anything but what the father says as the police haven't released court documents, isn't it possible if not probable that there's more going on here? Everyone seems so certain that it's as cut and dry as the media is parroting it, but we simply don't know what the court and police know about this case.

I'm just saying I don't know why people are rushing to defend this kid when they have no idea what actually happened or what the police have on him. I'm not going to defend the guy when I have no idea what the facts are. I'm frankly shocked so many are defending him without knowing what the hell the courts actually saw that had them level that huge bail in the first place.

Public opinion is funny. It's just like that KimDotCom douche. The guy's a career criminal, has been tried and convicted of defrauding millions from investors with his schemes even after his hacking convictions stealing and selling phone cards and yet people rush to his defense like he's some sort of hero because he stood up to copyright people, completely ignoring his long, criminal past. No matter what he does from now on, how can you some look past the "Oh, hey! It's that convicted insider trader/fraudster who bilked millions out of investors after being convicted of other crimes." Oh! "But he's setup in Gabon now and he's totally legit!" Uh huh. It's like praising Robin Hood for handing out gold and forgetting the fact he's a 5 time rapist.

[SilentNegotiator]

"I'm just saying I don't know why people are rushing to defend this kid when they have no idea what actually happened or what the police have on him"

But then that's the thing; if we don't have additional details, we assume him innocent. You would think if there was even a SINGLE detail that would support the idea of him being deranged or a terrorist, they would have said SOMETHING to the public.

I can understand your concerns that there might be unreleased details, but it's tough to even be suspicious of someone if there aren't details to say that we should be.

...I agree 100% about KimDotCom, though. Scumbag. Long, Looooooong history of thefts of all kind. He knew that running a site like that would mean lots of pirated material, being the scam artist that he is, and knew there was lots of money to be made in poorly regulating such a site.

[LAWSON72]

You must have never been fucked over by the court system has happened many times before.

[Anon1974]

@ SilentNegotiator. Of course, innocent until proven guilty, but the police and courts still have a responsibility to reasonably protect the public's safety prior to the accused's day in court and they have to make a decision based on information that often isn't publicly available. The fact that they've gone through this process and set such a large bail says something about this kid's potential to harm as assessed by law enforcement professionals, whether he's guilty or not. I think you understand where I'm coming from. I'm just saying if the police and courts are concerned, why aren't we more concerned? Because his dad says we shouldn't be?

@LAWSON72. Nope. I never have. Damn near 40 and not so much as a speeding ticket. And it's not because I've never had run ins with the police in my time.

[badz149]

some dumb kid making stupid jokes, doesn't warrant what this kid is going through! give him a lesson but for what it's worth, jailtime is not a worthy punishment for it as it's too much! and 500k bail too? that's seriously fucked up!

[ShwankyShpanky]

"Do we have so little faith in the justice system that we actually believe a kid can be locked up for one, simple off color post?"

Yes.

"One one hand you have police officers and members of the court, professionals there to keep us safe."

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHA.......

<deep breath>

...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

That's adorable.

[Anon1974]

@ShwankyShpanky What can I say? I'm not a cynical kid. I'm a 40 year old professional with 2 kids of my own and a healthy respect for the job law enforcement officials and the courts do, and the tremendous sacrifices they make for our safety.

If the courts and law enforcement believe this kid may be a threat to public safety based on the information they've been provided, I'm not going to second guess based on the opinion of the kid's dad. It's my belief that any thinking, rational adult would agree considering the facts aren't known to us at this point. If you take the kid's dad's word for it that his kid isn't a threat over the court and police's opinion, I don't know what to say to you.

If all the kid did was make one stupid threat, I'd be inclined to agree that this treatment is ridiculous. But I don't know the details outside of the dad's story that the media keeps repeating.

I'm frankly baffled by the amount of people willing to take this man's word his son isn't a threat over the opinions of the people who's job it is to protect us. The lack of faith in the justice system and law enforcement I'm witnessing here is disturbing. I've known many over the years in law enforcement I find it troubling that you people can call them heroes one moment and then turn around and completely dismiss their opinions the next.

You think you can do better, step up and do their job. Until you do, you'll have to forgive me for respecting their opinions just a bit more than yours when it comes to matters of public safety, especially given the fact they're privy to facts about this case that neither you, I nor the media are aware of.

[ShwankyShpanky]

@darkride: Bully for you. I'm a cynical 33-year-old professional with two kids of my own that pays more attention to news and government than probably 95%+ of Americans, and my cynicism is totally justified.

[Anon1974]

If you say so. I'll still take the opinion of law enforcement over some douchebag's dad any day of the week when it comes to matters of public safety. I feel pity for you if you don't. I mean, even if it was just one joke like his dad says and that's all they have on him (again, we don't know because details haven't been released), considering the initial threat was to kill children, wouldn't it be better to err on the side of caution before his trial? You must live in a much different, darker world than I do when you'd rather trust some stranger's opinion then the people you pay to protect the peace. Let's just hope this guy doesn't get the chance to carry out his threats.

[ABizzel1]

I personally don't think he meant it, and it was a stupid joke. But he learned a harsh and valuable lesson.

We're quick to forget tragedies that didn't personally effect us, but the Boston Marathon Bombing was only a few months ago. And a few months before that the Sandy Hook Elementary Massacre, and multiple mall shootings. Also The Dark Knight rises shooting and more over the years.

People have a reason to be up in arms, and what happened to this man (19 years old is a legal adult in the US) was terrible, but it's a life lesson he'll never forget. Joking or not, it's never funny to make a death threat towards anyone, and he's old enough to know better. It'll get you jailed or killed, especially towards someone kids. Even though he didn't name anyone specifically the fact that he has something in him to even say something as ignorant as "I’m going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts." goes to show he's not all there mentally or at least in maturity (again he's too old for that).

I mean what kind of person thinks of something like that, then says / post it online. Again it's horrible what's happened to him, but it's a hard lesson learned and honestly more people need to learn these kind of lessons, because this generation of kids are out of control.

[nveenio]

This wasn't a kid. This was a grown man. A legal adult.

[LoveOfTheGame]

^^
difference between a man and a kid is not age.

[nveenio]

@LoveOfTheGame

Legally, it is. And we're dealing with a legal matter here. If we don't expect someone to act like an adult at 19, then we find ourselves selling weapons and drugs (like alcohol) to children. We MUST expect them to act as adults at 18. If they don't, we should certainly discourage further childish behavior. That's just the way it works. There comes a time to grow up and be a man. Maybe this guy will learn his lesson.

[Nevers]

Here in the US we are INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. That kid should not have had to spend 5 months in jail.

[KaBaW]

@darkride66 -

Iduno about where you live, but here.. cops are less about 'protecting' and more about 'you were doing 36 in a 35.. $100 fine!' Hiding and waiting, following and stalking people to find something to ticket them for. Sure.. there are the few good cops who do there job properly. But, at least here, the majority are douches, on power trips. The court system is no different.

[isa_scout]

Do we live in the same U.S.A.? The one I live in is getting worse every single day. Those of you who think we still live in a democratic country are really fooling yourselves. Little by little these corrupt politicians(judges are elected officials=politicians) are slowly chipping away at our freedom, and the majority of people are too ignorant to realize it...
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”- Benjamin Frankilin

[nveenio]

@isa_scout

I'm not ignorant enough to think we live in a democratic country.

This is a republic. A democratic republic...but a republic. It's set up the way it is so that 51% of the nation can't go crazy and make it legal to go around threatening people with extreme acts of violence.

[SilentNegotiator]

A Canadian reports the "terrorist" for facebook comments and the US throws him in prison with 500K bail.

Dang it, America. Let's get out s**t together.

[vakarian75]

Its not really a good thing he now owes this person and that person knows who he is.

[pompombrum]

At 19 he really should know better than to post stuff like he is about to go shoot up a school full of kids.. should he really have such a high bail? No ofcourse not but think about all the people there probably are in the US alone who could use that sort of money for life saving medical treatment.. but nope, give it to some ignorant little brat with a big mouth. Punishment probably doesn't fit the crime however I'm sure he's learned his lesson and I sure don't have much sympathy for him.

[SilentNegotiator]

People that think jokes like that are funny definitely deserve a kick in the seat of the pants.

But unfortunately, he has received about 50 kicks to the front of the pants.

[LonDonE]

meanwhile in America.......I see lots of, to catch a predator episodes, where grown men, go online, and eventually meet under-age girls and boys for sex,and these guys are more common then you think and its disgusting that monsters like them are free to go about their daily lives, grooming yet more innocent kids, while the justice system puts rapists, and paedophiles back on the streets, with new identities, paid for by the tax payer, and instead puts kids like this in jail and many others who did crimes,yes in some cases, but in no way comparable to a paedophile or rapist, its the disgusting world we live in folks, i lost faith in justice a long time ago, instead for me, a baseball bat, and a meat cleaver is all the justice i need when someone does wrong to my family, kids and wife! PERIOD, the police SUCK!

[Conzul]

Shut up! They're listening...

[ColdFeet]

WTH is wrong with the world. child rapist can get off with 5-10 years of jail time and $100,000 bail... Get punished for something that you didn't even do. It's like minority report but worst, it was just a joke. 10 years in prison for this is ridiculous.

[Hufandpuf]

Yeah, I'd never give 500k to someone that thinks killing kids jokes are ok.

[ShwankyShpanky]

Do you understand how bail works?

[Timesplitter14]

wow

seriously my faith in humanity has been restored. What an amazing person!

[slazer101]

@ Mounce,

Two ways bail works.

1. Put up the whole 500k and if the client does not skip bail and shows up to all his court appearances you get all your money back.

2. Get a bail bonds to put up the bail. In this case you usually have to give the bail bonds a percentage of the bail. This you do not get back because the bail bonds is putting itself on the line if you skip bail.

The bail has nothing to do with any "suits" getting any money. The only suits getting any money is the damn lawyers. Not bagging on you. Just saying.

OT: This story is such BS. There is a thing called free speech in this country. Yes the police had to investigate after being contacted. But why can't they investigate the situation instead of immediately arresting someone. I see this getting dismissed. the sad thing is the only ones that make out are the money grubbing lawyers.

[iceman06]

You are correct. However, freedom of speech is not freedom of the consequences of said speech. I am NOT arguing that he deserved this treatment at all. I am just pointing out that one can't just say ANYTHING and not have to face the consequences. I believe this is already a lesson well learned (4 months in prison!!!). Dismiss the case and lets move on.

[slazer101]

I agree. But what I'm saying is the authorities always jump to fast. I do not agree with what the kid said. They had to investigate I agree with that. But if the authorities would of investigated it properly they would have found that there is no other evidence that shows he was going to do anything. You should not be thrown in jail for four months on just a comment you make. Now if they found evidence that the kid was a problem child and was always in trouble or causing shit or had weapons or had a computer with questionable searches then yes. I just think they need to look at the whole picture. That's all.

[PurpHerbison]

Just cause he is 19, he is a grown ass man? I don't remember the last time I met someone at that age and considered that person a "grown ass man".

[Breadcrab]

Whoever that person was, props to them.

[jc48573]

what if that person is the same person that got him in there in the first place?

[Donnieboi]

What??

[Breadcrab]

A twist worthy of M. Night Shyamalan.

[jc48573]

I mean if I were the person that called the cops, then realized what they were doing to the kid in the cell, I would feel terribly bad.

[SpideySpeakz]

I bet it's a celebrity.

[Prcko]

good news for this poor little fella

[Jourdy288]

Wait.

The kid makes a stupid joke on Facebook and his bail is 500K!? Madness.

[Prcko]

all hail to Democracy!!!
not!

[Eldyraen]

Not like those of us in Democracies are only people with absurd laws. Excessive by far but no judicial system has got it right yet. I doubt they ever will.

I agreed anyways though.

[Ares84HU]

Be careful what you are saying. Forget about the Freedom of Speech. And ues, you are being watched, everyone is being watched.

[JackOfAllBlades]

SpyBox 180 incoming

[BattleTorn]

And here in Canada we have organized crime lords with bail set at $100,000-$300k. (google: Bacon brothers)

[iceman06]

In America, we have accused murderers, rapists, pedophiles, etc. that often get less bail than $500,000. Unfortunately for this kid, the climate has been raised since all of the school shootings combined with 9/11. Both terroristic threats and threats against the public are taken very, very seriously. That being said, enough is enough already.

[caseh]

Hardly surprising, you wouldn't walk into an airport and declareyou have a bomb in your bag these days unless you are looking to do jail time.

Of all the places to make a comment like he did considering events of the past year or two, he made that comment on Facebook...

Stupidity reigns supreme.

[Pascalini]

Your welcome

[Jyndal]

It's like I tell my wife, every damn day America moves closer to becoming a police state. Soon, disagreeing with the President in a public forum will be grounds for imprisonment.

And to think...this used to be considered a free country.

[D-riders]

kudos to the guy who bailed him out

[BattleTorn]

Right! Some celebrity had some common sense. (or whoever it was)

[Bonerboy]

Way to go America you should be so very proud!
Oh I see, its ok to say "Im going to rape and cannibalize (insert harsh string of racist ethnic slang here) kids but not an off colour "School" joke? = Jail for 4+ months?!

What a Ridiculous Fucking Country that clearly, will NEVER be able to get it's shit together. Idiots.

I really feel for this poor kid. Much kudos to the anonymous source.

[slazer101]

Just curious. Where are you from? I am sure I could bag on whatever douche bag country you live in too.

[Bonerboy]

Canada...be my guest, bag away, I'll probably get a laugh out of it if you have any wit about you. Oh, and don't forget to lovingly stroke your assault rifle collection whilst "bagging" on my "douchebag" country. I seem to be all out of bubbles so I cant follow with a witty resonse so you had better make it good. All the best. XO

[slazer101]

LOL. Just messing with ya. Just trying to say all places we live in have something wrong with them. No matter where it is. I do not own any assault rifles but do own a 45. 1911. As far a something funny, all I have is CANADA! the country with only two seasons....WINTER and ROAD REPAIR.:)

[jimmywolf]

as much as you guys have Sympathy for the kid, this whole ordeal he facing is a good thing. in till someone become a Marty, nothing changes.

it also teach him a harsh lesson in life, the world is a harsh place an if you act tough, you get tough guys on you...

in the past their was a very simple law, the strongest survive, since we evolved as a society, man has become too accustom too the liberty's of freedom. an is forgetting the rule still stands, just in a different form.

we fear it as control, suppression, chaos, but in truth it what give order in a world were everyone feel they have liberal right too say what ever they want, even when their words fuel hate.

[mopground]

oh yea hes trying to act like a real tough guy! stupid comment

[Bonerboy]

Yes, well said. Much more eloquent than my base rant. ;-)
This kid should have known better given how edgy things are in the US these days.
Still the punishment is pretty extreme and I would think the state has made its point, and therefore will not pursue a conviction for this kid to go "up to a decade" behind bars. This kid has definitely learned his lesson. But then again, it is the USA so who knows, maybe some senator will push a law enabling the state to hang this kid for what he said.

[aliengmr]

A harsh lesson for making a stupid comment on the internet? Really?

[Hicken]

Sure, people need to be held accountable for their words as much as their actions, but there seems to be a lack of appropriateness in the punishments, now.

[RavageX]

I have to say, if he hadn't been arrested and did end up hurting someone or worse what would most of you have to say then?

[Krew_92]

I have to say, if he hadn't been arrested and ended up hurting absolutely no one what would YOU have to say then?

It's a double edged sword. Evidence points to NO, he was not going to hurt anyone, and it was a stupid joke that A LOT of people make. I hear risque jokes all the time, all this happened because a simple misunderstanding.

[aliengmr]

I would say nothing, my conscience would be totally clear.

Because it wasn't a threat. Hell, it wasn't even a "not sure if serious" comment.

What worries me more is that some people here aren't concerned at all that he was arrested and jailed for 4 months for obvious sarcasm.

[XtraTrstrL]

Holy SHiT! $500,000!?! Seriously? There is no freedom of speech anymore. All these inside jobs are attempting to completely destroy the constitution. From 9-11 to the Boston Bombings, where the FBI went around killing everyone around the 2 suspects that could have given info on how it was a setup. The idea of these inside jobs is to convince the broader majority of the US that it is necessary to have a more militarized police system(Homeland Security). And that it is ok to attack free speech. Like George W Bush said, "You are either with us, or you are with the terrorists." So if you think the government is doing things wrong and are against the people, then you are automatically a terrorist. Like Snowden for exposing the government and the NSA for spying on all of us through every freaking form of media possible, he's a terrorist now for being for the people instead of the government that is so obviously against us. And I'm a terrorist for writing this. Fucking sad world we live in.

[keabrown79]

Freedom of Speech does not equal freedom from accountability for what you say.

[XtraTrstrL]

You also have to use common sense. Look at the situation in which he said it, and that it was followed immediately with "lol, jk". To think this calls for the kid to be locked away for 4 months with $500,000 bail and potentially an 8 yr sentence, you'd have to be insane, or a moron.

[BattleTorn]

To continue on what XtraTrstrL was saying - the whole thing is out of context.

Sure, he definitely said (NSA: I'm QUOTING) "I'll shoot up a kinderganden class and eat their still beating hearts"

But that is the QUOTE... leaving out the

"Oh yeah! Totally! I'm crazy! //QUOTE// LOL JK"

A classic example of hyperbole.

[keabrown79]

I'm not disagreeing with either of you Xtra TrstrL or Battle Torn.. I'm just saying people sometimes try to interpret and stretch the meaning of "Freedom of Speech" to mean more then it really is

[porter470]

smh

[Enigma_2099]

You SHOULD be held accountable for saying stupid s*** like that. Even if he claims it was a joke, it wasn't f****** funny.

But what they did to him was a bit much.

[friedricr]

Calm down, anyone with a brain could see the sarcasm and the joke written all over it. but then again, the people who jailed him, have no brain and clearly overreact to anything....

[Enigma_2099]

Joking about killing kids isn't funny. Some things just aren't funny.

[BattleTorn]

A bad joke is still a joke.

Is a bad joke equivalent to 10years of a youths life?

[Enigma_2099]

"But what they did to him was a bit much."

Completely ignored that part, didn't you?

Listen, ALL OF YOU. ESPECIALLY YOU, friedricr. I believe that he should be held accountable for his "joke." I DON'T agree with how they did it. No I DON'T think he should have been locked up for 10 years. Hell, I don't even think he should have been locked up! A warning or a ban would have been fine. And if you're the type that laughs hysterically at those kind of "jokes," do yourself a favor and DON'T joke like that in a public forum. Some people, like myself, may not see any humor in those kind of remarks. You gonna joke about 9/11 next?

[friedricr]

you should really re read it. if you honestly think he really met in anyway possible he would kill kids off what he said... you're a completely....well yah. i love kids, just as much as the next parent/adult/brother/family member... but what he said .. in clear ... was a joke... seriously i have heard worse go unnoticed. You're deff THAT GUY....

[Krew_92]

"A bit" That is not a "bit" much that's too much. Just because you can't handle dark jokes, doesn't mean everyone else can't.

Learn to accept reality. What this kid got was not warranted, at all.

[SpideySpeakz]

Oh yeah, like he's really gonna eat the kid's beating hearts. Are you special?

[1nsomniac]

It's people like you that cause things like this & the stupidity in the world!

It's these stupid dumbed down TV programs that turns kids in to these over emotional sheep like yourself.

The guy even said at the time he was clearly joking & despite that freedom of speech is something you can not take away from anyone. people like yourself need to grow up & not allow programmed emotions control your natural heart & mind.

You cannot lock someone up for saying something, simple as that - what about what bankers & politicians do everyday & we don't lock them up!!

However Obama sends military drones that kill innocent family's & I guess you think that's ok because they said so??

[Enigma_2099]

And it's people like you that cause stupid s*** like this to happen in the first place. Again, are you so deaf dumb and blind that you did not see that I pointed out that I disagreed with locking him up? Did you not read the post where I clearly pointed that out? Were you so busy grabbing your e-penis and stroking your ego that you didn't have enough common sense left to read the other posts and realize this? DO YOU NOT THINK?!?!?

[wishingW3L]

Kotaku readers really are harsh! Some of them are calling the poor guy a low life and even a little s***t that should stay in jail... For writing a stupid comment. More than half of N4G users would be in jail right now if this were the case. XD

[Bonerboy]

Word! Myself especially. ;-)
Thank the Gods I'm in Canada.

[Conzul]

Canada...the irony...

[Krew_92]

You do know a Canadian woman reported this kid right?

This, as much as she was trying to do the right thing, is ALL her fault.

[Rezka]

500K really? so dumb

[jagstar44]

apparently he was on suicide watch, it's good he got out as soon as possible.

[InTheLab]

You do not threaten children. It's not funny. It's not a joke. Someone wasted 500k on a piece of trash... How do I know he's trash? Good men don't joke about mass murdering children.

And further more, I'm so sick of people calling a 19 years old man a "kid". If he were 14 or something, I might be right with you defending a child from cruel and unusual punishment. But He is a grown man and should be held responsible for his actions.

A lot of you are criticizing America's justice system and that's fine. Plenty of people are locked away for months to await trial, and that is BS. Some of those people are even innocent, and that is unacceptable. But this guy is guilty of making terrorists threats....on children.

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom of consequence and I'm proud to live in a country where people are held accountable for their actions.

[BattleTorn]

But he's not a full grown man. It's a well known fact that our brians don't finish maturing untill the age of 25.

A brief investigation would've revealed this kid had said it in distasteful sarcasm. Terrorist don't typically say LOL JK with their treats. (at least as far as I know)

A investigation would've also revealed his family doesn't even own guns.

[InTheLab]

We're allowed to serve our country at 18. If men are developed enough to serve and protect American citizens and interests, then 18 is old enough to be held accountable for making threats.

It's also fairly easy to get a gun. A shotgun can be purchased with a quick trip to Walmart and it's even easier at trade shows. Speaking of developed enough, the legal age for purchasing rifles is 18.

I bought my handgun in less than an hour at Gander Mountain...and they are pretty strict with their checks.

[aliengmr]

No, at 18 you are still underdeveloped enough for military training.

Again, he did NOT make a threat or target a specific school. Poor choice of words should not get you locked up.

[ABizzel1]

In most states you're a legal adult at age 17. The maturing age of 25 doesn't excuse stupidity. Morals and values help men make mature choices in life. His are obviously in question if such a comment can casually come from his mouth joking or not.

All charges should be dismissed, but it's a lesson learned, and more people need to be aware of this especially younger kids who do this everyday. This generation of kids are out of control.

[Tultras]

Sigh.

If 18 is the legal age then if a person is 17 he is a kid, and if a person is 19 then he is a grown man. Anyone else find this logic retarded?

[Bonerboy]

Hes a smart assed teenager! Look back at your teenage years. Everyone is an idiot at that age. Not a legit excuse really and I agree he should be held accountable, but it will be a sad day for the us if this kid is actually convicted. Why not hang the filthy bastard? I wouldnt be surprised to see it happen. People make far worse threats against children but nothing is ever done. A knife threat would have been forgotten but throw a gun in the mix and its all different? Ri1diculous. Such a narrow minded stance. Your country imposes cap punishment on mentally disabled people. Got a joint in your pocket? Here's 10+ years in jail. Your country is ass backwards fucked. Real proud.

[InTheLab]

Your entire post is full of half truths and flat out lies. It's possible to prove your point without lying, right?

For example, threats to children go unpunished only if the accused is never reported by the victim or a 3rd party. In this case, a 3rd party reported a crime and it is a crime to threaten to shoot up a school.

Another example. A joint in your pocket is a misdemeanor and carries a small fine and no jail time. It's called personal use. At worst, an officer will confiscate the joint and give you a fine. There is no jail time unless you intend to sell.

Lastly, since you're an expert on my country, you should know that there has been 2 notable mass murders this year. Those incidents wouldn't have happen if the guy had just a knife. He never would have made it to the school with just a knife.

Your argument is weak and full of lies. I'd expect nothing less considering your handle.

[Mainsqueeze]

You really hate the U.S. don't you? What a sad life. Funny how you say we have a narrow minded view when you are so hellbent on hating this country that you make up lies and exaggerate just to prove a point.

[aliengmr]

It was a bad joke. What's the point? do you feel safer now?

Is it really worth ruining his life over? Having a felony conviction fallows you for the rest of your life. Prison time just makes it worse. All that for poorly timed sarcasm? No, that's not right.

That's not what this country is about. He didn't target a specific school and cause a panic, it was obviously sarcasm. Bad taste, yea, but bad taste doesn't get you locked up with a $500k bond.

[N2NOther]

It's only wasted if the kid doesn't show up in court. He gets the money back if/when the kid does.

[psyxon]

GAMERS UNITE.

[EverydayGuy]

Letting a thing like this slide will cost you more than you freedom of speech. This is just step one, let them walk all over you it will be too late, you will no longer be able to criticize the status quo or any form of illegitimate actions of the government. With the NSA they can track your comment all the way to your first use of the internet where you make a dumb comment and use it against you, you don't want that.

[TXIDarkAvenger]

Well in that case, more LoL players would be jailed. Seriously, LoL is fun but a majority of the community sucks.

[aliengmr]

This was really stupid. The comment he made was obviously not a threat. While it was probably not the smartest thing to do it doesn't warrant jail time.

[Skate-AK]

I hear stuff like this every time I play COD. Sometimes worse. The only reason this dude it in trouble is because he wrote it and didn't speak it.

[TheTwelve]

Wow I will be EXTREMELY careful about joking on the internet. This is insane.

[ABizzel1]

Just don't do it. It's just wrong no matter how you justify it being an @$$hole on the internet or online.

No one should have to deal with ignorant people and their ignorant remarks online because you want to be childish and hide behind your screen. If wouldn't say it to someone's face then don't say it online behind a screen name. Simple as that. I don't understand why people feel the need to become evil d!*#s online.

Not saying you are, just people in general. It's annoying, it's childish, and they're cowards.

[srood]

i think Iraq is better country to live in :D

[spoonard]

A lot of people here don't seem to understand how bail works. The anon will get their money back after the kid appears in court. Settle down!

[N2NOther]

I was just going to post this. It amazes me how many people will say things without even having a clue as to what they are talking about. What's worse is that there is an area in the top right portion of the very browser where if you type "how does bail work?" you will get an answer before reacting and sounding ridiculous.

[FanboyCrusher]

Now the lady that called the police, the police that arrested him, and the officials who refused his right to a fair trial should all be put in jail for 10 years. It's only fair they suffer what they almost put a kid through for no good reason.

[Tultras]

Now lets look at it from another perspective.

Everyone defending his jail is so damn protective of their " safety ". I wonder how paying a bail and having him released through payment of money LOWERS the supposed threat he carried, sounds retarded to me.

[S2Killinit]

seriously? and then we have people on this site saying "its ok if they spy on you because they only use the info if you have something to hide" laughable. I'm not condoning what this kid said because it wasn't a good thing to say in light of the lunatics going on rampage every other week. But honestly, the whole comment is filled with sarcasm, jail for a decade seems excessive.

[Sadist3]

Those kids are always plotting mass murders...Oklahoma bombings, Batman movies theaters massacres, Columbine shootings, playground grade school shootings....they wrote notes detailing their violets behavior too. Why is this one different? Because he ended it with "lol"? And no, there is no freedom of speech in the U.S., that's an old mirage. You go on your email, twitter, text messages, etc. and make terrorists remarks and see how fast them Feds take you down for your "free" comments.

[Benchm4rk]

Oh the good ol US of A huh. Greatest country on earth lol.

[LoneWolf019]

I hear this shit all the time on CoD Battlefield Halo League, ANY game period. Sounds like the community of all of the games need to go to jail because they make stupid threats to kids that shit talk them all the time. Any game would know what this guy said was just a joke.

[TheHybrid]

Amazing! Beautiful. This makes up for all the scumbags that moved to prosecute him. That whore of a candadian women that reported him should rot in hell