Supreme Court Ruling Challenges Conviction of Online Threats

The Supreme Court ruled in a 7-2 decision that the standard used by prosecutors in Colorado to convict a man of stalking violated the First Amendment. The case involved a man who sent hundreds of Facebook messages to a musician, which she viewed as "creepy." The court stated that prosecutors must show that the defendant acted recklessly and disregarded a substantial risk that his communications would be viewed as threatening. Critics argue that the decision will make it harder to convict stalkers and combat online harassment.