An Overview of Criminal Threats

Recently, a teen was arrested for making threats on Facebook to shoot students at his high school. After investigation, the deputies found that the teen had no intentions of actually following through on his threats. Whether he was going to carry out his threats or not, the police officers took the threats extremely seriously. To read more, click on the link below: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/18/student-arrested-threats-shoot-people_n_5687510.html

The crime of threatening another person is taken very seriously by law enforcement. Criminal Threats is defined by California Penal Code Section 422; "any person who willfully threatens to commit a crime which will result in death or great bodily injury to another person" and causes a person to reasonably fear for his or her safety. Criminal Threats can be charged even if the suspect had no intent to actually carry out the threats.

Some examples of actions that can lead to being charged with Criminal Threats include:

  • Texting your ex-girlfriend that you are going to beat her up,
  • An enraged employee leaving an office telling everyone to "watch their backs," or
  • Intimidating a family member by saying you're going to come back with a gun.

If you or a loved one has been charged with Criminal Threats, an aggressive Criminal Defense Attorney can be of great help. Lessem, Newstat & Tooson, LLP has over 50 years of experience defending suspects accused of Criminal Threats. Lessem & Newstat, LLP has used a wide variety of defenses to help their clients, but the first step is calling to discuss the case. Do not hesitate. Call now for a free consultation!

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