Texas teen may go to jail for "violent joke" on league of legends

[verdesthe 45]

  Quote

 

In February, Justin Carter was playing “League of Legends” — an online, multiplayer fantasy game — when another player wrote a comment calling him insane. Carter’s response, which he now deeply regrets, was intended as joke.

“He replied ‘Oh yeah, I’m real messed up in the head, I’m going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still, beating hearts,’ and the next two lines were lol and jk,” said Jack Carter, Justin’s father, in a statement to a local news channel.

The statements “lol” and “jk” — meaning “laughing out loud” and “just kidding” — indicate that Justin’s statement was entirely sarcastic, said his father.

But a Canadian woman who saw the post looked up Carter’s Austin address, determined that it was near an elementary school, and called the police. Carter was arrested one month later, and has been in jail ever since. He recently celebrated his 19th birthday behind bars.

Authorities charged him with making a terrorist threat. If convicted, he will face eight years in prison.

“These people are serious. They really want my son to go away to jail for a sarcastic comment that he made,” said the elder Carter.

Authorities noted that recent school shootings like the one in Newtown, Connecticut have caused them to evaluate all potential threats seriously. Newtown was still fresh in their minds at the time of Carter’s arrest.

“In light of recent situations, statements such as the one Justin made are taken seriously,” said an Austin police detective in a statement.

Carter’s father said his son didn’t follow the news at all.

“Justin was the kind of kid who didn’t read the newspaper,” said Jack Carter. “He didn’t watch television. He wasn’t aware of current events. These kids, they don’t realize what they’re doing. They don’t understand the implications. They don’t understand.”

Carter’s parents have launched a change.org petition to convince Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot to release their son.

“Release Justin Carter from jail,” the petition reads. “Too many teenagers are being arrested, jailed and having their lives forever altered because of anti-terrorism laws and investigations that impede their 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech.”

 

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/27/texas-teen-makes-violent-joke-during-video-game-is-jailed-for-months/#ixzz2XgQn5s40

Really America the firetruck I just don't understand

[Reyn 1,755]

O_O WHAT THE F***? God, People are just retards sometimes. The police ARE THE ONES MESSED UP IN THE HEAD FOR BELIEVING THIS.

[Skai 3,961]

What do you expect from 'MURICA?

[WolfTheDemon 414]

  On 6/30/2013 at 7:44 AM, verdesthe said:

Really America the firetruck I just don't understand

 

o-O I don't either. I don't understand humans PERIOD.

[Guest]

...

Even if it were a "Joke" this is a rather open wound. At the least he should have his license revoked for a few years, be placed on house arrest for that same amount of time, and put on Probation. Most maybe a year and a half in jail. It's not the fault of a kid if he doesn't read the news. It's the parent's fault for not telling their kids what lines there are in society and what is OK to say. No matter what the circumstance, it's still incredibly rude and disgusting to say something of that nature.

[Reyn 1,755]

  On 6/30/2013 at 8:02 AM, IItNeverGetsBetterThanThis said:

...

Even if it were a "Joke" this is a rather open wound. At the least he should have his license revoked for a few years, be placed on house arrest for that same amount of time, and put on Probation. Most maybe a year and a half in jail. It's not the fault of a kid if he doesn't read the news. It's the parent's fault for not telling their kids what lines there are in society and what is OK to say. No matter what the circumstance, it's still incredibly rude and disgusting to say something of that nature.

Agreed. But still, it seems pretty drastic to put the kid in jail, especially since THERE'S NO REAL EVIDENCE THAT HE WAS SHOPPING FOR GUNS TO GO AND KILL THE KIDS WITH. THERE'S ALSO NO EVIDENCE THAT HE IS F***ED UP IN THE HEAD. That is really screwed up on the cop's part. They arrested him with NO EVIDENCE OTHER THEN A COMMENT. PFFT. Dumbass people, and their idiotic actions.

Edited June 30, 2013 by spiderfreak1011

[Gamerazor247 877]

I'm going to a elementary school In a week and I'm gonna shoot all the kids with a BB gun and hang all the teachers ^.^ JK lol

 

Anywho somebody always over reacts and calls the "po po"

Though I wonder how she figured out his name and address... SHE SHOULD BE IN JAIL BECAUSE SHE'S A STALKER >: D

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/genius

[Guest]

  On 6/30/2013 at 8:05 AM, spiderfreak1011 said:

Agreed. But still, it seems pretty drastic to put the kid in jail, especially since THERE'S NO REAL EVIDENCE THAT HE WAS SHOPPING FOR GUNS TO GO AND KILL THE KIDS WITH. THERE'S ALSO NO EVIDENCE THAT HE IS F***ED UP IN THE HEAD. That is really screwed up on the cop's part. They arrested him with NO EVIDENCE OTHER THEN A COMMENT. PFFT. Dumbass people, and their idiotic actions.

Still. If you thought someone could possibly do this, would you let the person just sit there? I wouldn't have hesitated to arrest him, safety of others is important.

[Reyn 1,755]

  On 6/30/2013 at 8:08 AM, IItNeverGetsBetterThanThis said:

Still. If you thought someone could possibly do this, would you let the person just sit there? I wouldn't have hesitated to arrest him, safety of others is important.

Good point. I agree with you. In any case, he should'nt have said that at all.

[Gamerazor247 877]

Other that this really pisses me off

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻)

SCREW CALM STOMP EVERYTHING!!!!!

[Skai 3,961]

  On 6/30/2013 at 8:07 AM, gamerazor247 said:

I'm going to a elementary school In a week and I'm gonna shoot all the kids with a BB gun and hang all the teachers ^.^ JK lol

 

Anywho somebody always over reacts and calls the "po po"

Though I wonder how she figured out his name and address... SHE SHOULD BE IN JAIL BECAUSE SHE'S A STALKER >: D

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/genius

I think you mean hang *with* all the teachers

[verdesthe 45]

  On 6/30/2013 at 8:08 AM, IItNeverGetsBetterThanThis said:

Still. If you thought someone could possibly do this, would you let the person just sit there? I wouldn't have hesitated to arrest him, safety of others is important.

I fully understand where you are coming from and he shouldn't have said that to begin with because it can be very offensive and hurt people who have dealt with this sort of thing but people say things 10x worst on a daily basis and nothing happens. Also how did she track him, um she should go to jail for finding all this personal info about another human being she doesn't even know. Plus he wasn't even talking to the woman who tracked him down.

[Gamerazor247 877]

  On 6/30/2013 at 8:14 AM, Sky Heart said:

I think you mean hang *with* all the teachers

I will hang than burn them...

[Reyn 1,755]

  On 6/30/2013 at 8:08 AM, IItNeverGetsBetterThanThis said:

Still. If you thought someone could possibly do this, would you let the person just sit there? I wouldn't have hesitated to arrest him, safety of others is important.

Wait i just realized. HOW THE FUDGE DID THAT WOMAN FIND OUT HE SAID THAT. SHE'S A STALKER AND SHOULD GO TO JAIL FOR THAT.

[Guest]

  On 6/30/2013 at 8:41 AM, spiderfreak1011 said:

Wait i just realized. HOW THE FUDGE DID THAT WOMAN FIND OUT HE SAID THAT. SHE'S A STALKER AND SHOULD GO TO JAIL FOR THAT.

Well, since LoL is run off a large server, she could have filed a report with him and asked for his real name or something.

[Reyn 1,755]

  On 6/30/2013 at 8:49 AM, IItNeverGetsBetterThanThis said:

Well, since LoL is run off a large server, she could have filed a report with him and asked for his real name or something.

True,

[JJForever 75]

People say way worse shit than this on YouTube comments for crying out loud. I don't see the police doing anything about that.

The kid was being sarcastic. Granted its not something to really joke about, not at all but come on. I hope his judge understands the concept of being "Young and ignorant"... Sure give him some probation maybe, make your point, but eight years in prison? Wow. Then to have that on his record for the rest of his life?

He would be totally lost when he gets out.

[Firaga 5,947]

No comment. This is too absurd.

[Mchappy_ 29]

I was pretty stunned when I heard about this. All the kid was doing was associating the word "insane" with "school shooters", which is an accurate statement.

[Kurama 171]

Wow. Its amazing that the police actually belived this and arrested him.

[Oishii 3,987]

  On 6/30/2013 at 12:55 PM, Kurama said:

Wow. Its amazing that the police actually belived this and arrested him.

Yeah, they're preventing so many shootings by putting him in jail *heavy sarcasm*

[Dracozombie 4,554]

It looks tasteless jokes over the internet have become grounds for arrest.  Guess 80 percent of the internet is goin' to jail.

[OmegaForte 1,674]

Looks like America is one more step closer to big brother era. SMH

[WhiteCrow 55]

Dat criminal.

[TheApprenticeofKingMickey 3,689]

What I don't get is why is this guy getting put in jail when other gamers make much more severe jokes about violence and even rape, but nobody gives a shit? Why isn't anyone questioning that kind of behaviour?