Summary
Briana Boston, 42, was charged with threatening a health insurance company after repeating words linked to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
During a recorded call with Blue Cross Blue Shield about a denied claim, Boston said, “Delay, deny, depose, you people are next,” echoing phrases engraved on bullet casings at Thompson’s murder scene.
Authorities allege she exploited the CEO’s homicide to make the threat.
Boston, a mother of three with no prior criminal record, was arrested and held on $100,000 bail amidst warnings of potential copycat incidents targeting healthcare executives.
this isn’t a first amendment issue.
It’s illegal to shout “BOMB!” in an airport even if there is no bomb, and you have no intention of setting one off. further, it’s also illegal to shout “FIRE!” in a crowded theater.
It’s also pretty much illegal everywhere to call in bomb threats or similar, even merely as a prank.
It very much is.
Hence why there is a legal distinction for true threats like that… which you chose to completely ignore for whatever reason (probably because it negates your entire comment).
It’s not any different than telling someone that you wish they’d die. That’s not a threat. No one in their right mind would think she, herself, was making a direct threat against anyone at the company based on the context of the conversation. Only dumbfuck keyboard warriors on the internet trying to look smart but too lazy to click any links because it might conflict with their idea of reality.