Ore. man gets year in prison for Obama threat
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A Portland man who threatened President Obama in phone calls to the media was sentenced Wednesday in federal court to more than a year in prison.
Darryl Swanson apologized to the judge who also ordered three years of supervision after his release.
The Oregonian reports the 46-year-old has mental health problems.
Swanson called the paper and government offices last year saying the government owned him trillions of dollars. In a call to The Associated Press he said he might contact al-Qaida and attack the White House.
Darryl Swanson apologized to the judge who also ordered three years of supervision after his release.
The Oregonian reports the 46-year-old has mental health problems.
Swanson called the paper and government offices last year saying the government owned him trillions of dollars. In a call to The Associated Press he said he might contact al-Qaida and attack the White House.
why are we wasting tax payers dollars incarcerating a known mentally-ill man??
He looks like Cher's dad in Clueless, what his name? .....oh Mel Horowitz..Â
Ted Nugent will be next
brandishing a mouth ...
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"owned him"?
Oh he is mentally ill? Gee, I wonder what gave that away.
We can't lock up mentally ill people involuntarily in this country anymore, so often to the prison system he goes!
Sounds like this nutcase should have already been involuntarily committed long ago.
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There's far too many crazies wandering the streets these days.Â
Oh boy - glad this loon is off the streets. Â While I didn't vote for Obama, I respect the office and nobody should ever be calling media or anyone else to make overt or veiled threats against the President.
@JoeKing2 There are veiled threats of violence from conservatives all the time now days, and it's time they learn the hard way that this is not free speech.
 @Superman_1967  @JoeKing2 I have heard the same threats from union leaders and people on the picket lines. I guess they must be conservatives also....
I can just hear the far right fringe now. "What's the big deal?"
I guess freedom of speech was just for sane people.
@kockatoo Threatening the President is not free speech, and will land you in prison every time.
 @Superman_1967  @kockatoo "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
The man has acknowledged mental health issues. The threat was not realistic nor viable.
This is all political.
@Glassman Read it and weep. âThreatening the government officials of the United States is a serious crime under federal law. Threatening the President of the United States is a Class D felony under 18 U.S.C. § 871, punishable by 5 years of imprisonment, that is investigated by the United States Secret Service. Threatening other officials is a Class C or D felony, usually carrying maximum penalties of 5 or 10 years under 18 U.S.C. § 875, 18 U.S.C. § 876 and other statutes, that is investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. When national boundaries are transcended by such a threat, it is considered a terrorist threat.[1] When a threat is made against a judge, it can be considered obstruction of justice. Threatening federal officials' family members is also a federal crime; in enacting the law, the Committee on the Judiciary stated that "Clearly it is a proper Federal function to respond to terrorists and other criminals who seek to influence the making of Federal policies and interfere with the administration of justice by attacking close relatives of those entrusted with these tasks."
@Glassman @Superman_1967 @kockatoo The right to free speech has limits. Obviously he crossed the line.
@Glassman @Superman_1967 @kockatoo So are you saying, if I am mentally ill, its ok for me to go around threatening to kill people?
 @Glassman  @Superman_1967  @kockatoo Which is why he only got one year
 @GlassmanObviously you're wrong hence the prison sentence...... You cannot threaten the president regardless of mental health issues.... Hopefully in prison he will receive the help he obviously needs pertaining to his mental condition... Freedom of Speech doesn't apply to threatening another....
Funny "....Swanson called the paper and government offices last year saying the government owned him trillions of dollars..." proofread much? (jeepers) How does one (owned) him trillions of dollars?
 @Funky-Munky it's komo. just a buncha doofus' writing biased unfactual articles for us to waste our lunch break at work reading.
I can't believe they took his threatening rants seriously.
@Brokesince08  Look up John Hinkley on Google.  Granted, he was ranting to a movie star instead of the media before shooting a president.Â
 @Brokesince08 you open your mouth without inserting foot first .... and you make stupid threats pertaining to the president..... you win STUPID prizes.... :D)