Man appeals 4 year sentence for threatening to kill his ex-wife via a Facebook post
A US man jailed for four years for posting a Facebook comment about killing his ex-wife is to go before the Supreme Court as judges attempt to determine whether the missive constituted an intended threat or merely a foul mouthed rant.
Anthony Ellis received the lengthy jail term after posting a series of threatening comments, including a reference to killing children, which prosecutors say constitutes an offence even if there was no intent to action the messages.
His defence team argue that the posts were a ‘therapeutic’ way to let off steam and allowed Ellis to come to terms with his bitter break-up and that the rap-style comments were little different to the lyrics used in hit songs by Eminem and The Beatles.
Ellis’ troubles began in 2010 when his wife walked out after seven years of marriage with their two children, sparking the online tirade, but free speech advocates that the current definition of threat is too broad.