Read \"Dallas case tests free-speech rights of a social media troll.\" Babak Tah

Question

Read "Dallas case tests free-speech rights of a social media troll." Babak Taherzadeh is a troll. His posts are crude and directed at politicians and public figures, but he says his online posts do not reflect who he really is. He has been charged with directly threatening Judge Brandon Birmingham and his family on social media. Taherzadeh's defense is free speech. The prosecution contends that his threats are not protected speech. Do Internet research on cyber threats and free speech and analyze and discuss why you believe Taherzadeh should face jail time for his posts. Cite your sources and remember NO WIKI anything. Your post must be at least 100 words

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Explanation / Answer

Taherzadeh is an online troll. According to him he is playing an online character and he is not same in his real life. I believe Taherzadeh should face jail time because what he did was not exercise his freedom of expression. He threatened physical harm on the judge Brandon Birmingham. There is always a line that one needs to draw when it comes to being critical of someone. Any statement that threatens any type of physical harm on anyone needs to be strictly punished under the law. It's a different thing to disagree with a decision given by a judge and it's completely different to threaten a judge of physical harm on the social media. Such acts cross the line of freedom of expression. Any unlawful and unconstitutional behaviour needs to be punished.

Dale Carpenter, a professor at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, explains, "If you put a person in fear that you are going to do them physical harm, that is not protected speech".

The freedom of expression does not include the right to "incite actions that would harm others" [Schenck v. United States, 249 U.S. 47 (1919)].

It clearly shows Taherzadeh crossed the line in the name of freedom of expression and made statements that violated the First Amendment.

Sources:

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2016/11/24/twitter-trolling-lands-jail-dallas-case-tests-limits-free-speech

http://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/what-does

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