Judge Deems Facebook-Posting Rapper Cameron D'Ambrosio A 'Threat,' Denies Bail

from the if-you-can't-do-the-time,-don't-do-the-rhyme? dept

Tue, May 28th 2013 5:45am — Tim Cushing

Cameron D'Ambrosio, the Massachusetts teen arrested and charged with "communicating terroristic threats" (or "bomb threats," depending on who's doing the reporting) via a Facebook post (in the form of rap lyrics -- CammyDee has aspirations), has been denied bail by the state's Superior Court.

The judge's decision was based on the "dangerousness" hearing held May 9th in Lawerence County Judge Lynn Rooney's courtroom, in which she decided D'Ambrosio was a threat to others based on his previous run-ins with the law.

“I believe the behavior here has been escalating,” Judge Lynn Rooney said after reviewing a half dozen records of police and probation reports prosecutors submitted at the hearing. “And it’s very troubling.”

The reports included D’Ambrosio’s arrest in June after a fight over $20 with his older sister, who called police after locking herself in her room. During the argument, D’Ambrosio pushed her and, after she locked herself in her bedroom, threatened to stab her, according to the arrest report from June 21.

Police said D’Ambrosio admitted he said that, but said he was just upset. The case was continued on Oct. 17, and dismissed on April 17, exactly two weeks before he was arrested for the Facebook post.

Rooney said she also was troubled by a police report from November 2011, which said D’Ambrosio threatened to shoot two eighth-grade students. Police said he admitted to making that statement, but was only kidding.

D'Ambrosio's past is far from squeaky clean and he seems to have acquired a reputation for threatening others. (He also seems to let his better judgement take a backseat to mouth/keyboard -- the officer who arrested Cameron after his Facebook post knew him from a previous incident, one in which D'Ambrosio was hospitalized after being beaten so severely by another student that his spleen ruptured. This beating was apparently prompted by some Facebook comments D'Ambrosio directed towards the other student's girlfriend.)

So, D'Ambrosio clearly knows how to make specific threats directed towards specific individuals. But it took a vague "threat," delivered in the form of a horrible/horrific "rap" to finally get him locked up, threatened with a 20-year sentence and denied bail. Even Sheriff Joe Solomon, who went to great lengths to read between the lines of D'Ambrosio's Facebook post and attribute him with things he didn't actually say, admitted the post contained no specific threats.

I do want to make clear he did not make a specific threat against the school or any particular individuals but he did threaten to kill a bunch of people and specifically mentioned the Boston Marathon and the White House.

The first part of Solomon's sentence is true -- D'Ambrosio made no specific threats. The second part? Not so much. For clarification, here's the entire Facebook post currently being declared a "terroristic threat" by the state. This includes some additional verbiage (in bold) that wasn't contained in previous reporting.

All you haters keep my fuckin' name outcha mouths, got it? what the fuck I gotta do to get some props and shit huh? Ya'll wanme to fucking kill somebody? What the fuck do these fucking demons want from me? Fucking bastards I ain't no longer a person, I’m not in reality. So when u see me fucking go insane and make the news, the paper, and the fuckin federal house of horror known as the white house, Don’t fucking cry or be worried because all YOU people fucking caused this shit. Fuck a boston bominb wait till u see the shit I do, I’ma be famous rapping, and beat every murder charge that comes across me!

Rapper addresses haters, makes grandiose claims, plays up street cred with criminal references. Positively unremarkable, except that multiple students reported this status update to school administration. This doesn't necessarily mean these students felt threatened. It's equally believable that D'Ambrosio's mouth, attitude and behavior made him less than well-liked at his school.

Sheriff Solomon then took what little was offered and ran with it, leading us up to this point. But you have to wonder where state prosecutors will go with this as it heads through the judicial system. D'Ambrosio's lawyer points out there's not much here for the state to work with.

DuBosque argued in court that D’Ambrosio was not a danger because he was not threatening specific violence, and police found no explosives, weapons or other writing about violence when they searched his home. The post started out as lyrics, he said.

Because D’Ambrosio did not threaten to use a weapon in a specific place or against a specific person, the post did not meet the state statute’s requirements, DuBosque said.

The statute D'Ambrosio is charged with violating will need to be stretched to cover a "threat" that fails to meet most of the specifications. But once the word "terrorist" is introduced into the mix, specificities tend to suddenly become vague "guidelines" as the law is bent, beaten and painted to match.

On the plus side, D'Ambrosio has more than a few citizens working towards preventing both the First Amendment and the tactless rapper from going down the drain. A petition created by the Center for Rights and Fight For The Future asking for D'Ambrosio's release has gathered over 70,000 signatures. The local Center for Rights has also criticized the judge's decision to deny bail (as well as the charge itself), pointing out that D'Ambrosio is facing a stiffer sentence than if he had actually assaulted someone.

As I stated previously, I don't have a problem with something like this being investigated. But the end result should have been little more than "loudmouth teen says stupid shit," and perhaps some court-ordered counseling or supervised probation, considering his past behavior. Instead, we have a high school student facing a 20-year sentence for saying the wrong thing ("Boston bombinb" [sic]) at the wrong time (too soon).

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Filed Under: arrests, bail, cam d'ambrosio, cameron d'ambrosio, cammydee, lyrics, social networks, terror

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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:02am

Rapper addresses haters, makes grandiose claims, plays up street cred with criminal references. Positively unremarkable, except that multiple students reported this status update to school administration.

Yeah, except he's not a rapper. Just a run of the mill thug and criminal. That many of his peers reported this and also knew him well should tell you what you need to know. But no; once again you stoop to defend human garbage like this.
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justok (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:02am

don't do the rhymes if you can't do the time
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:04am

No specific threats ??
So when u see me fucking go insane and make the news, the paper, and the fuckin federal house of horror known as the white house, Don�t fucking cry or be worried because all YOU people fucking caused this shit.

ME, 'Making the news, the paper, "white House", "YOU CAUSED THIS SHIT"

What don't you understand the DIRECT threat, or what "GOING INSANE AND MAKING THE NEWS means.

You cannot get much more DIRECT than that, I for one like to see this moron right where he is, in prison, and to remain there for about as long as copyright is valid for.
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:06am

The amusing part is that the same sister they are using to incriminate him is right there defending her brother against this madness. But sanity isn't one of the strengths when it comes to law enforcement and courts these days so they'll simply ignore this.

It's also troubling that they are digging up stuff from his childhood to make him look as some sort of psycho. It seems they are using a fact from when he was 12 years old and he got into a fight and bit the other boy as evidence that he is some sort of threat. I'm thinking about the boy that shaped his pastry as a gun or the two kids that were playing bang-bang with their fingers making gun noises with their mouths. So they decide to go rap in the future (or any sort of protest artistic vein) and suddenly because they had these "incidents" they are a threat.

When and why did people get that afraid of everything and anything? When did we become that intolerant? Or have we always been that way and the speed and reach of today's communication systems just made us freak out? (I'm using we, us generally speaking: we as a society).

How can it be reverted if the children are being taught exactly to be the worst kind of intolerant humans possible?
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:06am

Oh Tim
Nice, way to stick up for the crazed mental cases,

btw: he is NOT a rapper, just a fuckwit banger.

Best place for him is prison, or grave.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:07am

I guess he threatened the wrong people. This chuckle-head broadcast his threats over Youtube and not only does he not get charged but get his CCW back. I don't see how anyone can deny any form of double standards in our court system. All in the name of keeping a people safe by showing just how skewed the system is.
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:11am

Re:
Just a run of the mill thug and criminal.

What was his crime? I mean, no guns or weapons were found at his home. His sister is defending him even though they got into siblings quarrels. I mean who has never hit their siblings in a quarrel ever? I love my sister. We had pretty bad fights in the past where we'd hit each other and HURT each other for real. And yet we are great partners and we'd go to great lengths to defend each other.

Do you have any info we don't? Evidence?

If not, shut up.
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:15am

Re: No specific threats ??
It takes a few neurons and a web search (Google if you will) to find TONS of similar lyrics. You are a pitiful thin skinned excuse of a human being if you agree with the excessive force being used in this case. He could be admonished at most. But arrested? Without bail?

Pray your kid doesn't go into a rebellious phase. O wait, every single kid, teen has these phases.
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:16am

Re:
There are TONS of similar examples. TONS. Why single this guy out? Go after all the rappers, urban artists and so on.

Arrest the world ;)
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That One Guy (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:17am

Re:
'The local Center for Rights has also criticized the judge's decision to deny bail (as well as the charge itself) pointing out that D'Ambrosio is facing a stiffer sentence than if he had actually assaulted someone.'

You missed the important part, namely that he's being threatened with a higher sentence for words, not even words aimed at someone but just saying something in general, than if he'd actually attacked someone.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:24am

Re: Re:
His sister is defending him ??

oh that makes ALL the difference !!!!! lets all just go with what his sister says.

He is really a very nice little boy, attends Sunday school and is polite to elders.

BULLSHIT.

This moron fails to meet the minimum standard for acceptance to the human race. That is his crime.

Fuck a boston bominb wait till u see the shit I do

that is a DIRECT THREAT, closely followed by this gem...

I�ma be famous rapping, and beat every murder charge that comes across me!

lets have him around for dinner some time, Tim I am sure you would be happy for him to meet your wife !!! or kids.

Perhaps you would like to introduce him to Masnick's kids ?

Don't forget the Boston Bombing is nothing compared to what he is going to do..

Spoiler: MURDER!!!!!

Do you know what that word means Tim ??
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:25am

Re: Oh Tim
Best place for him is prison, or grave.

Ah, you just made a specific threat there, didn't you? I'm afraid I have no choice but to report you to the authorities for the public's safety!
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:26am

There are TONS of similar examples. TONS.

Such as ?????
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Gullible White Cattle, 28 May 2013 @ 6:29am

Re: gullible white cattle
anyone who opposes Jewish aggression, plunder, stranglehold, is a threat, according to our govt.
this is not left vs right, GOP vs Dems, Socialism vs liberty. This is war against White people.

Why do hostile globalist elite defend Israel as a Jewish ethnostate with Jewish only immigration, but ravage White majority Europe/North America into a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural Gulag with dystopian non-White colonization?

The world is 93% non-White, only 7% White. But 3rd world colonizers, Muslims, Sikhs, Hispanics, are aggressively advancing their agenda to annihilate gullible Whites, just as China annihilates Tibet.

How long will gullible Whites cuckold for murderous anti-White elite, who confiscate our guns, infiltrate/subvert our banks/FBI/CIA, indoctrinate White kids in academia/mass media, plunder White jobs/wages, & butcher White soldiers in bankrupting wars?

"Native" Americans invaded from East Asia. Yellow & Brown races committed 10-times more genocide, slavery, imperialism than Whites. Since Old-Testament, Whites have been victims of Jewish/Crypto-Jewish, Turkic, Muslim, N.African imperialism, slavery, genocide.

Gullible Whites should reject subversive ideologies- libertarianism, feminism, liberalism- & reject hostile slanders of racism. Peace to all humanity, but White people must organize to advance their interests, their fertility, their homelands. Spread this message. Reading list: goo.gl/iB777 , goo.gl/htyeq , amazon.com/dp/0759672229 , amazon.com/dp/1410792617
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:31am

Re: Re: Oh Tim
Ah, you just made a specific threat there, didn't you?

NO.

I am sure lots of people will be very sympathetic to your case.

I do believe you still have a death sentence in the US.

Where is the threat ? implied or direct ?
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:31am

Re: No specific threats ??
"You cannot get much more DIRECT than that"

I can think of some threats more direct than that...
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:40am

Re: Re: gullible white cattle
Go away Adolph. We already have our quota of insane douchebags on this board.
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:43am

Re: Re: Re:
Don't forget the Boston Bombing is nothing compared to what he is going to do..

Spoiler: MURDER!!!!!

So now you are omniscient..

This moron fails to meet the minimum standard for acceptance to the human race. That is his crime.

I happen to think the same about you. Go to the nearest police department so they can forward you to the nearest jail. Don't mind any court proceedings, you surely have done something stupid in your earlier days that can be used as some sort of unquestionable evidence.

Moron.
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:45am

Re: Re: gullible white cattle
Ah the wonders of free speech. Sometimes we have to read such garbage...
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PaulT (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:45am

Re: Re: Re:
The guy in the article is probably not a saint, but you're hardly making your own case with your obsessive, borderline insane ravings here either.

Did you try acting like a sane, intelligent adult to make a point on any article yet, or is this childish drivel still what you think will change peoples' minds about anything?

Oh, and unless I'm very much mistaken, the person you're responding to isn't Tim.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:46am

Re: Re: Re:
Apparently you don't listen to a lot of rap music.
'bombing', 'killing', and 'destroying' are often used as a metaphor for a particularly well constructed rap verse. Besting other wrappers with a verse is often referenced in the lyrics with metaphors of violence as well, generally with vague attributions.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:48am

This is fucking insane.
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:48am

Re: Re: Re: Oh Tim
Yes you did. By your own disgusting logic. His sentence was generalized. You are referring specifically to the guy and one can interpret as a threat.

You, sir, are an incredible example of how rotten and disgusting humans can be. Congratulations.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 6:51am

Re: No specific threats ??
You don't understand what specific means do, you? It means there was not a person in particular being discussed.If there was, in fact, a particular person being discussed, please name them.
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PaulT (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:52am

Re:
How far back do you want to go? Ice-T was saying similar things 20 years ago, and he was hardly the first or unique in his time.

Oh, and learn to click the reply button when you're trying to respond to somebody. It makes following a conversation easier when there's a lot of posts. Not that you're interested in an actual discussion, but hey...
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PaulT (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:54am

Re: Re: Re: Oh Tim
"NO"

Using the same logic you have used upthread, yes you did. Don't worry though, people here are going to be there to defend you against idiots who would want to strip your rights and lock you up just because you made some stupid comments online. That's because many people believe in innocence before guilt, right to free speech and due process, not the fascist removal of rights supported by those who are blindly attacking this guy.

Ironic, huh?
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:55am

Re:
Bohemian Rhapsody.

Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead

Eminen

http://rapgenius.com/50-cent-my-life-lyrics

While you were sipping your own kool-aid getting your buzz heavy
I was in the fucking shed sharpening my machete
Sipping on some of that revenge juice, getting my taste buds ready

http://rapgenius.com/Eminem-no-love-lyrics

Fucking right I've got my gun, semi-Cartermatic
Yeah, put a dick in their mouth, so I guess it's "fuck what they say"
I'm high as a bitch: up, up and away
Man, I come down in a couple of days
OK, you want me up in the cage, then I'll come out in beast mode

Check. Your turn.
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Chris Rhodes (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:58am

Re: Re: Re:
A direct threat against who? Name some names.

And according to you, anyone who I wouldn't want to "meet my kids" has no rights/should be locked up?

I'd rather my kids lived in a free society than one in which fearful cretins like you run the show.
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Chris Rhodes (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 7:04am

Re: Re:
Ice Cube (Lethal Injection, 1991) - "Cause I got potentials to blow up a Winchells Donut"

OMG, OMG, TERRORISTIC THREATS! He's going after the donut shops! Time to wet my pants and start posting AC comments to Techdirt!!
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AC, 28 May 2013 @ 7:05am

Apparently MC Chris should also be in jail for his song Geek.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 7:08am

Re: Re: Re: gullible white cattle
Wonder how long it'll be before the anti-techdirt trolls will attack us for "censoring" this racist ass
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 7:12am

Re: Re: Re: Re: gullible white cattle
Not sure, he was already hidden when I read. But I can click the pink links. I think our trolls have some sort of disease that prevents them from clicking links if they are pink or something ;)
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 7:14am

Re:
Here are some:
50 Cent - Banana Clip
50 Cent - Make A Movie Out Of 'Em
Lil Wayne ft. Rick Ross - John
Rocko ft. Future & Rick Ross - You Don't Even Know It
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 7:15am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: gullible white cattle
It must be too much of a girly color for the macho trolls!!
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 7:20am

would someone like to explain something to me please? how can a teenager that made some rapper posts been deemed a threat and must be remanded in custody, yet 9 police officers that basically bludgeoned an intoxicated man to death, not only be seen to be innocent, but free to do it all again? what the hell is wrong with US justice and US law? protecting the guilty (because they are so-called government officials) and condemning the innocent (because they say things that a boring old fart, totally out of touch with today's world, society and technology, wants to exercise her authority rather than use a bit of common sense!
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Coyote (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 7:28am

Re: No specific threats ??
I've heard worse lyrics, concerning anti-government, anti-people, people confessing to robbing someone, and other lyrics about murder, thievery, or what have you.

Does that mean all those rappers deserve jail time as well? Perhaps even worse? No, it doesn't. Off the top of my head, I can think of several songs about murder, some about thievery, robbery, and a lot about anti-guverment. Should Lupe Fiasco, 50 Cent, Ludicrous, Dr. Dre, Eminem, and the like get jailtime for words they never said, just wrote about? It's a lot like being a writer -- just because you write horrific events into your stories doesn't make you a criminal. It's when that escalates into real violence that it does -- not before.

There is no direct threat, no direct correlation. Siblings had a nasty fight, so what? They hammered it out themselves and got over it. I see no wrong doings here at all, except some facebook post, a prior fight with his sibling that admittedly, was pretty bad, but not really damning, and some lyricism that -- while very questionable, and kind of terrible lyrics, are just words that are not translating into action of any sort.

Would you also jail Stephen King, Neal Stephenson, Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card and the like for writing what they write? No, you wouldn't.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 7:29am

Re: No specific threats ??
So you're for lunatics being taken off the streets and getting thrown into prison for several decades.

Okay then.

When does Australia get to start with you, Mr. Fair-Use-makes-my-dick-sad?
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RD, 28 May 2013 @ 7:33am

Response to: Anonymous Coward on May 28th, 2013 @ 6:02am
when it comes to defending the right to free speech, yes we do defend that speech. even your garbage.
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Travis, 28 May 2013 @ 7:46am

What an idiot
Seriously, I can't defend this kid. He needs to learn something that most of North America should at some point. It's called discretion.

Free speech is awesome. So is using your brain and learning when to bridle your tongue.
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Dr. Q, 28 May 2013 @ 8:06am

What's your source for the the kid's entire rap? I haven't seen any other sources that include the first part including the links in your story.
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Anthony Reynolds, 28 May 2013 @ 8:16am

That dude is gonna realize real quick in prison how NOT BADASS he is. You are gonna get checked so hard man.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 8:23am

Re:
HAH!
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 8:39am

Re: Re:
We were actually discussing this exact topic yesterday at the river.

We had been out there swimming with a couple hundred other people, no booze, no drugs, just families watching their kids.

We were up at the pavillion that was next to the parking lot getting our grill on (hot dogs, although I wish it had been steak).

I had gone to the store to get some more hot dogs, and when I got back, two of the early 20's males were over off to the side talking to a guy that had come up and asked for one of our Solo cups (yellow solo, not red). I guess they traded the cup for a couple cigarettes.

They were over there talking, being loud, kind of like you would expect men in their early 20's to do.

The two guys with us wandered back over and the other guy turned to walk back towards the water when out of freaking nowhere a cop was standing beside him.

The river park we were at is right in the middle of a town of about 2300, so it's a pretty small place where everyone knows everybody.

This cop yanks the cup out of the dude's hands, and starts smelling the inside. The cop starts yelling, he obviously knows this kid had been drinking (because of the kids demeanor..he was a pretty loud drunk). Cop is pointing, and yelling, and radioing for backup. They cuff the kid.

This little show goes on for at least 30 minutes. At that point, over half the people at the river had packed up and left.

In the end, they had nothing to charge him with. They took the handcuffs off and wrote him a ticket for disorderly conduct.

My daughter and I were outraged at this whole scene playing out. Boys will be boys, and he wasn't harming anyone, wasn't going to harm anyone. He had too much to drink and was fairly loud. He stayed away from the kids, and he wasn't going to the deep part of the river. Some other lady was peeved too, cause she went up to the cop and was giving him shit about ruining their fun with this whole display.

One of the young men with us, however, had seen his share of trouble, and pointed out that usually when an older cop is so focused on 'busting' a young male it's generally nothing more than a personal vendetta about 'nailing this kid to the wall' or 'straightening him out'. The kid has probably been skirting the line for a long time now, and honestly there are only 2 results...

He cleans up his act or he escalates the things he does.
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silverscarcat (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 8:41am

Re: What an idiot
Seriously, I can't defend this kid. He needs to learn something that most of North America should at some point. It's called discretion.

Free speech is awesome. So is using your brain and learning when to bridle your tongue.

Why? Why should we curb our speech? Because it's offensive? Because someone doesn't like what we say?

I call bullshit and say your mother sucks toads to get high.

Yes, that can be offensive, maybe as offensive as your father the day you were born, I mean, seriously, those shorts should never be worn by anyone, man.

You hate my speech?

Check this vid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9XzShL0h8M

Look, we don't need to curb our speech unless said speech can endanger a person's life like yelling "fire" in a crowded theater when there is one or use hate speech to cause a riot, etc.

Making a song about doing dangerous things?

No reason to lock the kid up, maybe get him some counselling or something, but locking him up?

That's something that tyrants and terrorists use to take care of speech they don't like.
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 8:50am

Re: Re: Re:
darryl, I find your comment in this article very troubling. Seems like you're very angry, and maybe capable of committing some sort of violent crime. That makes you a threat, and a criminal and a run of the mill thug. Seems to me like you need to be jailed without bail.
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Jay (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 9:02am

Re: Re: What an idiot
speech can endanger a person's life like yelling "fire" in a crowded theater when there is one or use hate speech to cause a riot, etc.

*sigh*

You can yell fire in a crowded theater. It's ill advised, but it happens.

Second, I don't doubt that the kid does stupid things. But I'm going to go out on a limb and say that most kids indeed learn their behavior and have to learn from their mistakes. That's what growing up is all about.

I just think the Zero Tolerance policies that we have are backfiring big time with regards to students who are a harm to no one but themselves and their rap careers.
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That One Guy (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 9:05am

Re: Re: Re:
Umm, yeah, if a cop and/or cops are going to harass someone when they haven't done anything wrong like that, they don't exactly have any reason at that point not to start doing worse, as it's not like they aren't already being treated as though they were guilty.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 9:09am

Anyone who starts off anything (anyone can claim a song/lyrics regardless of quality) by saying "I'm not in reality" then going on about killing people *should* be arrested. I expect nothing less. This guy is clearly a threat and even admitted having possible mental issues; being separated from reality.

It's the police's job to investigate nutcases like that, even if it's just an idiot child looking for attention.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 9:14am

Re: Re:
Last time I checked, threatening to kill people and admitting to having mental issues is a crime, at least the first part.

And if you ever hit your sister, you're as much a douche as the wannabe self-proclaimed rapper you're defending. Sorry. I got in lots of fights with my sisters, never once laid a hand on her.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 9:33am

Re:
The Beatles

"Well, I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man."

"Happiness is a warm gun, yes it is."

"In their eyes, there's something lacking. What they need's a damned good whacking!"

Aside: Of course, it took Charles Manson to turn the latter one into an actual threat. But George Harrison had nothing to do with the actual murders. So make of that what you will.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 9:42am

completely retarded, entirely unsurprising as law enforcement is concerned. They have checklists, not brains capable of making judgments.
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Bryan (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 9:48am

Re:
Rapper addresses haters, makes grandiose claims, plays up street cred with criminal references. Positively unremarkable, except that multiple students reported this status update to school administration.

Yeah, except he's not a rapper. Just a run of the mill thug and criminal. That many of his peers reported this and also knew him well should tell you what you need to know. But no; once again you stoop to defend human garbage like this.

Funny thing, the First Amendment even covers human garbage. Be thankful for that.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 9:58am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Yep.

The bigger problem is the network of work associates, friends and family around that cop that know it's personal and either ignore it, or fuel it (see the other story about the 9 cops and a dog that ended up killing the dude they were arresting.)

How is the targeted person SUPPOSED to react?

What we really have lost is the ability as a society to de-escalate a situation.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 10:07am

Re: Re: Re:
So, admitting to mental illness is a crime? That's why America refuses to help the mentally ill, they are criminals.

That's just so chocked full of wrong that I'm surprised you don't work for the government - maybe you do.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 10:10am

Re:
Freedom means defending "garbage" (your term) and the "saints" alike, if you agree or not with their speach is irrelavent, defend others before no one is left to defend you.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 10:11am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: gullible white cattle
It's cause pink ain't white. They even have trouble with the black font. White on white, that's the true way!!!

/s
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 10:15am

Re: No specific threats ??
Asshat, let's lock up the insane now. Starting with you.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 10:16am

Re: Re: No specific threats ??
Maybe he would?
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 10:17am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Oh Tim
Yup, you got my vote, well said thank you for at least making think there is some hope left.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 10:17am

Re: Re: No specific threats ??
"Mr. Fair-Use-makes-my-dick-sad?"

Fuck ya for sad dicks.
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Jennifer Carter, 28 May 2013 @ 10:20am

Another teenager imprisoned for a Facebook comment
My 18 year old son, Justin Carter, was arrested in Austin, TX, on February 14, 2013 for terroristic threat. He was arguing with someone on Facebook. The other person said my son was crazy and my son responded with a sarcastic comment, along the lines of he was as crazy as the Newtown shooter. The person called the police, who arrested my son at work about an hour later.
The local news reported that my son had made a specific threat to a school near his father's home and that he was still on the loose;though he was sitting in jail at the time of the news report. He sat in jail for a month, as his father and I could not afford to pay his 250,000 dollar bond. Finally on March 13th, the police came to question my son. Foolishly, he talked to them without his attorney present as he was assured that this whole matter could be cleared up quickly and he would be released. He admitted to writing the post and stated that he was being sarcastic. After my son told police that his actual address was in New Braunfels, TX and not in Austin, TX, he was transferred to a small jail in Comal County. The judge then raised his bond to a half a million dollars and insisted that he be placed on my son's case. His home was not searched for another week after he was questioned!
The only thing the police confiscated was my son's computer as he had no weapons, never had weapons, and no one in our family owns weapons.
His attorney has informed us that the state is intent on getting a conviction and will only be willing to settle for my son signing for 8 years in state prison.
There has been no press on my son other than the one news account of his threat. The only reason my son's statement can be construed as terrorism is because of this case: Brandenburg v. Ohio, set precedent for law enforcement to infringe freedom of speech when the speech shows potential for the law to be broken. The speech must provoke the law, and be both �imminent and likely.�
Clearly, my son's threat was not imminent and likely, as after investigation (a month after his arrest) no weapons or bomb materials were found. My son is being denied his first amendment right to freedom of speech.
Please, if you're interested, take a look at this petition I started and sign:
https://www.change.org/petitions/the-president-of-the-united-states-and-the-attorney-generals -of-massachusetts-and-texas-change-the-investigative-criteria-forterroristic-threat-laws
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 10:27am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Society tends to escalate rather then de-escalate. The opportunity to push someone over the edge is just too easy and there are too many that get a woody over the prospect.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 10:33am

Re: What an idiot
so there is no free speech huh?
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 10:38am

Re: Re: What an idiot
Counseling? America would rather wait until you open fire in a school or crowded theater then bury your ass rather than helping you out when it could actually do some good.
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Travis, 28 May 2013 @ 10:38am

Stupid is...
Look, I'm not saying that they're within legal grounds for arresting and charging this kid. They aren't, he hasn't done anything illegal at all.

Societally though? He's being an ass. He needs to learn that his tongue can bring a great deal of harm upon him and others. That was my only point. People need to learn discretion. Free speech is all well and good, but if you cannot control your tongue, then you will quickly discover how "free" you really are.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 10:39am

Re:
But why should he go to prison?
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Boo Radley, 28 May 2013 @ 10:45am

Mentally ill
I am certifiably mentally ill, 20 years deep in a diagnosis that has been refined over time. Recently I have been told by state sanctioned mental health experts that I will have to try to kill myself or others before I will get any help from the authorities. I have been told this more than once by different individuals high up on the food chain.

The reason for this rather callous attitude towards my predicament? My fortunes have soured and I no longer have a job, healthcare, or a place to live. Ain't America wonderful? Best country on earth?
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Boo Radley, 28 May 2013 @ 10:49am

Re: Mentally ill
I write this from a library where I spend my days. I sleep in a wore out vehicle at night, when I can sleep. I am not getting better. I'll never get better, but this is not helping, unless you call things getting worse helping.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 11:37am

Re: Re: Re:
You are disgusting, also what school administrator should we report most of your filth to so we can get you arrested?
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 11:44am

Re: Another teenager imprisoned for a Facebook comment
So basically you can ruin any life by simply getting law enforcement involved with some broad remotely threatening (in the strict sense) by calling law enforcement.

I'd rather live with burglars and drug dealers. At least I can defend myself from those. The Government can be merciless and has far too much power over our data and lives. And lately we are seeing more and more arbitrary actions with no legal base at all go ahead unchecked.

Even though I hope your son can get out of this mess a lot of damage has already been done. He probably lost his job and he probably has a trauma for life. It's a hard lesson: Government does not have any sense of humor.
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 11:56am

Re: Stupid is...
Learning discretion does not void the fact that he is free not to use his discretion and be an ass. Sure he can be called out for being an ass or be socially despised. There are tons of ways of letting the morons know they are being morons (one of them involves plainly ignoring them). But this?

Free speech is all well and good, but if you cannot control your tongue, then you will quickly discover how "free" you really are.

In theory he should be completely free to be an ass without any law enforcement overreacting. If anything he could get some beating or get a lawsuit for defamation or something similar. But this? Being arrested for rap lyrics? Dictatorship is the name.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 12:13pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Read again what I wrote. Then correct your above statement. Your reading skills are so high I'm surprised you don't work for the government - maybe you do.
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Ninja (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 12:13pm

Re:
I'm going to kill you.

The above is just used to illustrate how stupid you are. Should I expect law enforcement at my door? And if he has mental issues shouldn't they be COUNSELING AND TREATING him? Shall we start arresting schizophrenic people? Bipolar? Down syndrome?

You should rethink your stance.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 3:08pm

Re: Re:
I love my sister. We had pretty bad fights in the past where we'd hit each other and HURT each other for real.

Hahahahahaha... you got beat up by your sister? I find that completely believable sweet boy.
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Eponymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 3:37pm

Re: THREAT!!!!
Hey Anonymous Genius, hate to break it to you, but everyone* is a threat for everyone is capable of violence against everyone else. Does that mean we lock up everyone for no one is to be trusted since we live in such unprecedented, dangerous times? The fact is: most homicide victims know their killer. Should we then break all social bonds and isolate ourselves for mere safety? We live in a dangerous world for we are built to die, and no matter what law enforcement does will deter that reality!

*Of course we can parse this and say not absolutely everyone is a threat, for example what about babies or Stephen Hawking? Though while unable to murder someone with his bare hands I am sure with his great intellect even Stephen can manage to kill someone remotely, and babies can get underfoot to trip someone to their death! /s
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Eponymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 3:50pm

Re:
We can go vary far back indeed to the Murder Ballads of old, or their contemporary revival by the likes of Johnny Cash:

"I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die."

"Early one mornin' while makin' the rounds
I took a shot of cocaine and I shot my woman down
I went right home and I went to bed
I stuck that lovin' 44 beneath my head"

"The judge he smiled as he picked up his pen
99 years in the Folsom pen
99 years underneath that ground
I can't forget the day I shot that bad bitch down"

"Ten years ago on a cold dark night,
Someone was killed 'neath the town hall light.
There were few at the scene, but they all agreed,
That the slayer who ran looked a lot like me."

^This last one here is taken out of context to also illustrate how easy it is to manipulate others into construing the wrong interpretation by negating pertinent info like what was done with articles referring to Cameron's lyrics.
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JMT (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 4:27pm

Re:
"That many of his peers reported this and also knew him well should tell you what you need to know."

It tells us something we all know very well: teenagers can be malicious little bastards, and his 'peers' knew exactly what sort of trouble he'd get in if they reported him. They didn't report him out of fear, they did it for entertainment.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2013 @ 4:48pm

Re:
That's right because those rhymes are infringement. You have to pay to play. Now pay me!!!
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:48pm

Re:
http://cms.fightforthefuture.org/teenager/

There's a screencap of his FB post about halfway down the page. (Linked in the story above as well: "A petition created by...)
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 28 May 2013 @ 6:51pm

Re:
Yes. I said as much in the post.

As I stated previously, I don't have a problem with something like this being investigated. But the end result should have been little more than "loudmouth teen says stupid shit," and perhaps some court-ordered counseling or supervised probation, considering his past behavior.

But if they didn't find any evidence to back up his "threat" (not even other writings), why is he facing charges that could net him 20 years in prison?
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Sheogorath (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 2:15am

Re: Re: No specific threats ??
I agree. The dude may be a jerk of the highest order who's attacked people in the past, but that's the whole point; he did that stuff in the past, and the sentence he's facing right now is for mere words. I might not like what this kid wrote or what I've read about his past, but no one, not even pricks like him, should be locked up for simply posting stuff on the web.
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Sheogorath (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 2:27am

Threatening lyrics
"I killed a guy and I liked it
It was really cathartic
I killed a guy just to try it
Hope that my friends don't mind it
It felt so wrong, it felt so right
Don't mean I'm Psycho tonight
I killed a guy and I liked it
I liked it"
I wrote the above lyrics and posted them on amiright.com sometime last year, so the police might be arriving with an arrest warrant any minute!
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PaulT (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 2:32am

Re:
"Anyone who starts off anything (anyone can claim a song/lyrics regardless of quality) by saying "I'm not in reality" then going on about killing people *should* be arrested."

So, Johnny Cash belonged in jail for those things he said about Reno? Or do you have a double standard where rappers are concerned? Do you apply the same criteria to actors and writers, or just musicians?

"It's the police's job to investigate nutcases like that, even if it's just an idiot child looking for attention."

Descriptions that apply to numerous commenters here, I note. Also, I note that most people aren't complaining about flags being raised or people looking into the guy's actions. They're concerned about the being jailed and bail being denied because of things he said. Surely, competent investigators can investigate the former without needing to lock up the suspect indefinitely?

It's disturbing that you seem to think that "someone says something I don't like" equals police investigation and that "police investigation" should mean locking someone up without bail.
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PaulT (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 2:39am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Try using English as though you understand it, in that case. You made a claim - "Last time I checked... admitting to having mental issues is a crime". The fact that you're such a poor writer that you tried correcting this idiotic claim *in the same sentence* rather than editing it to remove the claim is not the fault of the reader.

Try adjusting your own inanity rather than attacking others for a change.
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ryuugami, 29 May 2013 @ 5:29am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: gullible white cattle
If you use RequestPolicy add-on and block third-party content (specifically, ajax.googleapis.com), you can't click the pink links, can't vote funny/insightful/garbage, and clicking on 'reply' opens a new page to write comments.

So no, I can't click 'em. Which I consider a plus, mind you :)
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Ladybug, 29 May 2013 @ 1:29pm

Re: Oh Tim
Anonymous Coward: By your own reasoning you just made a specific threat. Should you now be arrested as well?
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Reverbe, 30 May 2013 @ 4:08am

Freedom of Speech is dead in the USA.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 May 2013 @ 10:17am

Re: Oh Tim
I am regularly perplexed with certain comments here considering the overall the emphasis on legal doctrines.

I agree he is probably a fuckwit banger, but am sickened by the ignorant spouting off of individuals like yourself who state "best place for him is prison or a grave".

First, this kid is a teen and not some recidivistic murderer. Secondly, he has not done anything substantively (or by wont of proper procedural law) that would warrant incarceration or death.

Go read The Cucible or some other book which contains paranoia and mob rule and stop trolling. Your "above (or despite) the law" attitude is the same one much of our government possesses, and has no place in a free society.
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JJJoseph (profile), 30 May 2013 @ 8:12pm

Re: Re: Re:
He sounds like another total fuckwit. I love it when these guys get cuffed and tossed into the paddy wagon. Who cares what happens to him afterward.
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JJJoseph (profile), 30 May 2013 @ 8:35pm

Re: Rap
This is jihad music. Very popular with the marathon bomber dudes.
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devon, 7 Jun 2013 @ 12:48pm

bail
I do not like rappers. but for our gov't to jail this dude for no reason. AGAINST the constitution. We have a Constitution and Bill of Rights for one reason.. PROTECTION of US Citizens. Obama is Nazi incarnate. He needs to be deposed and Killed. Yes.. deposed and KILLED. Obama is a rat. and rat poison is in order.
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John Green, 8 Jun 2013 @ 5:17am

Rap
What is wrong with Judge Lynn Rooney to have made such poor judicial decision, it would be worth reviewing all her cases and see if lack of good judgement pervades, or is she sleeping with the police chief who requested this be rammed through, again review her cases for a pattern.
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Russell, 10 Aug 2016 @ 7:05am

If this Judge had gotten the Ethan Couch case...
I have a feeling it would have turned out the same. Judge Lynn Rooney is on the other side of the same coin.
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