2 of my sons teen friend threatened to **** my son on my facebook… what are the laws regarding this?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
2 of my sons teen friend threatened to **** my son on my facebook… what are the laws regarding this?
I have a facebook… these 2 teen boys are mutual friends on my FB… one said he wanted to “unleash some anger… poss with his gun” other teen said “who do we need to kill” first teen said “taylor” my son… this went on a bit more… what are the laws regarding a teen threatening to **** another teen? we live in Texas
Asked on June 10, 2009 under Criminal Law, Texas
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
If you think there's the slightest credibility to the threat--any at all--call your town's police and explain the situation to them. It is illegal to threaten another person with bodily injury or death, whether that threat is made in person or on the web. It is also a threat, in our post-Columbine, etc. world, that police take seriously. At a minimum, the police would speak with the teens and their parents; they'll also be put on notice, and therefore be more ready to respond, in case there's any escalation or other evidence of a threat.
You should also contact FaceBook--threatening other people is against the FaceBook terms of service, and FB might pull the offending teens' accounts.
Obviously, your son's safety comes first, but note that if there are costs or damages to you, your son, or your family (for example, if you son is somehow made to feel unsafe at school and needs to transfer to a private school, or needs some psychological counseling), the teens' and their families are liable, though you'd need to bring a legal action (lawsuit) against them to recover. Not that you want it to escalate to that, but just so you're aware.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.