Instant messages as evidence?

What is the name of your state?
Massachuttes

If i threaten someone online through use of AOL instant messanger, do the police need a warrent to search my computer for evidence? and can they use the im against me? Please help me out quickly

No. The instant message is not on your computer, it is on both the IM service server is passes through and the victims computer saved as .log file. I would research more about the medium you plan to threaten someone over before you do it...especially because it is easier to track your IM to your computer then pretty much any other means.

Nope. The person you threatened will have the messages, and AOL can be subpoenaed to provide the relevant information leading to you. How about you walk away from the situation instead.

In most states, I doubt that a simple message from someone you don't know - even a threat to shoot them - is going to rise to the level of a criminal offense without something more.

Now, if the parties live in the same state, know each other, have a history of hassment or a dating relationship, etc., then there may well be other factors that could lead to criminal charges.

But if I were simply to IM anyone from this board and tell them I hated their guts and was on my way to kill them, I doubt that any law enforcement agency would take too much time and effort into looking in to it.

- Carl

That is true Carl. No one would put much stock in a vauge threat to a stranger (unless it was the president). My assumption was the parties know each other. Now if you threaten someone you don't know, and they end up dead or maimed, don't be shocked when the five-o show up looking for you.

thanks

thanks for the answers. Its all cleared up, the person i threatened isnt gonna go to the police...

They can take your computer away. I know this for sure. it happened to me acouple years ago I was joking around and what not. they took our computer away but we eventually got it bad. I ended up with 50 hours of community service an apology letter and a year of unsupervised parole (<-- that part i never quite got). But yeah I was like 12 though. This was all because the girl went to the police. And they didn't know who I was.