The Washington state Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to make harassing election workers a felony, three months after four county election offices received envelopes containing suspicious powder — including three testing positive for fentanyl — and had to be evacuated.
Why does the US not have severe penalties for threatening anyone? Or do they?
That might start infringing on everyone’s right to shove a gun in each other’s face.
Iirc most laws do cover threats but aren’t enforceable due in large part of the first amendment. So threats are only enforced when there is real, imminent danger to the victim.
Even in cases of threatening the president, you get a visit from the Secret Service and charges are rare.
I am not a lawyer. This is not legal advice.
We do, but we also love to elevate the punishment for crimes that annoy whatever group at the moment. A felony is more severe than a misdemeanor, and carries lifelong consequences.
Like the inability to vote…
Sure you can argue it may fit the crime in this case but I get annoyed when we try to give all crimes the death penalty.