19 year old given $500,000 bail for Facebook status

[MadBurgerMaker]

Is someone staying in jail (not prison) until their court date due to not being able to pay bail a new concept here?

The amount of the bail in the circumstances of this case are the issue.

Also at issue is the reason the criminal justice system got involved in this at all.

They got involved because some stupid Canadian was bothering the cops about it. The bail should be knocked down a notch or two, as I said, but this certainly isn't unheard of.

[Malthus]

Is someone staying in jail (not prison) until their court date due to not being able to pay bail a new concept here?

It's the excessive amount, as CC said. Why set bail so high on a nothing of a case like this?

[Malthus]

Is someone staying in jail (not prison) until their court date due to not being able to pay bail a new concept here?

The amount of the bail in the circumstances of this case are the issue.

Also at issue is the reason the criminal justice system got involved in this at all.

They got involved because some stupid Canadian was bothering the cops about it. The bail should be knocked down a notch or two, as I said, but this certainly isn't unheard of.

The cops and prosecutors have no discretion, but must do anything some stupid Canadian tells them to do?

That's good to know. 

[crazy canuck]

Is someone staying in jail (not prison) until their court date due to not being able to pay bail a new concept here?

The amount of the bail in the circumstances of this case are the issue.

Also at issue is the reason the criminal justice system got involved in this at all.

They got involved because some stupid Canadian was bothering the cops about it. The bail should be knocked down a notch or two, as I said, but this certainly isn't unheard of.

Interesting.  How many other tennagers are being held in Texas jails prior to trial for joking about things on the internet?

[MadBurgerMaker]

The cops and prosecutors have no discretion, but must do anything some stupid Canadian tells them to do?

That's good to know. 

They probably wouldn't have noticed it at all without the chick bugging them about it. 

[crazy canuck]

I've "threatened" to bake babies into matzoh more than once, in response to a "Jew Lawyer" jibe.  Is that a "clear-cut offence of uttering threats"?

I forgot about that.


BB, make sure you get them to round up Malthus as well as Brain.  One can never be too sure in cases like this!

[Syt]

The cops and prosecutors have no discretion, but must do anything some stupid Canadian tells them to do?

That's good to know. 

They probably wouldn't have noticed it at all without the chick bugging them about it.

Then the NSA has failed.

[Malthus]

I've "threatened" to bake babies into matzoh more than once, in response to a "Jew Lawyer" jibe.  Is that a "clear-cut offence of uttering threats"?

I forgot about that.


BB, make sure you get them to round up Malthus as well as Brain.  One can never be too sure in cases like this!

Seperate cells, please. 

[MadBurgerMaker]

Interesting.  How many other tennagers are being held in Texas jails prior to trial for joking about things on the internet?

I don't know.  I know there is (or was) an 18 year old in Boston with a $1,000,000 bail though.  That idiot posted something about killing a bunch of people right after the marathon bombing and got reported by classmates, among others.

[crazy canuck]

The cops and prosecutors have no discretion, but must do anything some stupid Canadian tells them to do?

That's good to know. 

They probably wouldn't have noticed it at all without the chick bugging them about it.

Yes, that is the point isnt it.  Shouldn't the proper response to a BB like Canadian who points to an internet post and says "OMG a threat" be to simply let the matter drop if there is nothing more to it?

[crazy canuck]

I've "threatened" to bake babies into matzoh more than once, in response to a "Jew Lawyer" jibe.  Is that a "clear-cut offence of uttering threats"?

I forgot about that.


BB, make sure you get them to round up Malthus as well as Brain.  One can never be too sure in cases like this!

Seperate cells, please. 

[MadBurgerMaker]

Yes, that is the point isnt it.  Shouldn't the proper response to a BB like Canadian who points to an internet post and says "OMG a threat" be to simply let the matter drop if there is nothing more to it?

Was there nothing more to it?  As noted, people post stupid shit all the time and don't get arrested, even in Texas. 

[Malthus]

The cops and prosecutors have no discretion, but must do anything some stupid Canadian tells them to do?

That's good to know. 

They probably wouldn't have noticed it at all without the chick bugging them about it.

True, but its ass-backwards to blame *her* for it. The authorities could (and should) have looked into it, seen it was a nothing of a nothing, and given this young man a stern talking to - again, assuming facts are as reported, etc. 

[crazy canuck]

Yes, that is the point isnt it.  Shouldn't the proper response to a BB like Canadian who points to an internet post and says "OMG a threat" be to simply let the matter drop if there is nothing more to it?

Was there nothing more to it? 

That is the question I have.  As I posted earlier, one would hope that there is more to this story than what we are told in the article.  If all of this is simply because of one joking post on the internet then this is a terrible over-reaction.

Which is why I am making fun of BB who takes the position that the post was "Uttering a Threat" and so by itself justifies some action by the criminal justice system.

[MadBurgerMaker]

assuming facts are as reported, etc.

See, while it's certainly possible the guy got a pissy judge on a bad day or who wanted to make an example or whatever, I also don't think we should be assuming anything with regards to the reporting.  As I said in the very first response, I think the bail should be knocked down.  That still doesn't mean the kid can get out though if his parents don't have the cash.  He could have been sitting in jail this whole time with a $5,000 bail, if his parents couldn't pony up the 10%.  Comal County though....eh...a lot of people are doing quite well up there.