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Nmenth

Kid jailed for sarcastic comment

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A Texas teenager who has been in jail since March faces an eight-year prison sentence because of a threatening joke he made while playing an online video game.

 

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

 

He replied Oh yeah, Im real messed up in the head, Im 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, Justins father, in a statement to a local news channel.

 

 

The statements lol and jk meaning laughing out loud and just kidding indicate that Justins statement was entirely sarcastic, said his father.

 

But a Canadian woman who saw the post looked up Carters 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 Carters arrest.

 

 

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

 

Carters father said his son didnt follow the news at all.

 

Justin was the kind of kid who didnt read the newspaper, said Jack Carter. He didnt watch television. He wasnt aware of current events. These kids, they dont realize what theyre doing. They dont understand the implications. They dont understand.

 

Carters 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.

 

A hearing to review Carters case is scheduled for July 1.

source

 

There you have it folks, sarcasm is illegal.

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That's it, Nmenth. You're next. :o

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Fear has destroyed their minds!

 

Joking aside, I would assume the case would be thrown out once it reaches trial.

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Sometimes laws can be changed without notice.

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Sometimes laws can be changed without notice.

I propose a law that says people with the Internet name "zocom7" should be arrested for... well... just because.

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I propose a law that says people with the Internet name "zocom7" should be arrested for... well... just because.

 

LOL I have no clue what you're talking about. If people would have said I am a community nuisance making pointless posts from time to time (if that is what others are thinking), then I know what I have to decide, I don't have to be here. But then again, I don't want to get banned because I still love this forum since I have contributed some good things here.

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Guest Stevie_K

Irrational behavior should not be punished irrationally.

Signed the change.org petition.

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Dark sarcasm is the best kind.

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Guest Stevie_K

I agree. But you could still say that his behavior is somewhat irrational.

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