Is it illegal to say you are going to say you are going to commit a violent crime?

[nick1137t]

New York State. The context is I am in a group chat in a college class with 5-10 other students. While discussing the test we had scheduled for the next day, I made clear that this was displeasing to me and I made a joke along the lines of "Don't worry I'll call in a bomb threat so class will be cancelled and we wont have to take the text". Police come knocking on my door a few hours afterwards and question me. I tell them exactly what I said and they tell me this is very serious and that I could be tried for a Class D Felony. I continuously try to explain that there is a big difference between making a bomb threat and saying that you are going to make one but they maintain that what I said was a very serious offence. This seemed kind of ridiculous to me as in my understanding even if I had said to the class that I was going to commit a violent crime like bombing the classroom I would not necessarily be charged with a crime based on what my intent was determined to be. Again though, I did not even say this as all I did was say that I was going to call a threat.
Is there any legitimacy to what the cops told me in this situation and would it be at all rational for a person to feel threatened for their life by someone saying they are going to make a threat without ever actually even making a threat? Especially in a context that should pretty obviously be realized as not being serious??
Any feedback would be much appreciated.

 

[nick1137t]

New York State. The context is I am in a group chat in a college class with 5-10 other students. While discussing the test we had scheduled for the next day, I made clear that this was displeasing to me and I made a joke along the lines of "Don't worry I'll call in a bomb threat so class will be cancelled and we wont have to take the text". Police come knocking on my door a few hours afterwards and question me. I tell them exactly what I said and they tell me this is very serious and that I could be tried for a Class D Felony. I continuously try to explain that there is a big difference between making a bomb threat and saying that you are going to make one but they maintain that what I said was a very serious offence. This seemed kind of ridiculous to me as in my understanding even if I had said to the class that I was going to commit a violent crime like bombing the classroom I would not necessarily be charged with a crime based on what my intent was determined to be. Again though, I did not even say this as all I did was say that I was going to call a threat.
Is there any legitimacy to what the cops told me in this situation and would it be at all rational for a person to feel threatened for their life by someone saying they are going to make a threat without ever actually even making a threat? Especially in a context that should pretty obviously be realized as not being serious??
Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Also, the class has a couple hundred students but the group chat only had about 10.

 

[Shadowbunny]

New York State. The context is I am in a group chat in a college class with 5-10 other students. While discussing the test we had scheduled for the next day, I made clear that this was displeasing to me and I made a joke along the lines of "Don't worry I'll call in a bomb threat so class will be cancelled and we wont have to take the text". Police come knocking on my door a few hours afterwards and question me. I tell them exactly what I said and they tell me this is very serious and that I could be tried for a Class D Felony. I continuously try to explain that there is a big difference between making a bomb threat and saying that you are going to make one but they maintain that what I said was a very serious offence. This seemed kind of ridiculous to me as in my understanding even if I had said to the class that I was going to commit a violent crime like bombing the classroom I would not necessarily be charged with a crime based on what my intent was determined to be. Again though, I did not even say this as all I did was say that I was going to call a threat.
Is there any legitimacy to what the cops told me in this situation and would it be at all rational for a person to feel threatened for their life by someone saying they are going to make a threat without ever actually even making a threat? Especially in a context that should pretty obviously be realized as not being serious??
Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Also, the class has a couple hundred students but the group chat only had about 10.

Are you serious? In this day and age of shootings at schools you thought this was a good idea? Of COURSE it could be construed as a threat.

But to answer your question, yes. you can be charged. And it doesn't matter if there were 10 or 10 million in the chat.

If you are charged, don't speak to the police without a defense attorney present. If you can't afford an attorney, STILL don't speak to the police. Instead, let them charge you and you can get a public defender.

 

[xylene]

Yes,it's OBVIOUSLY and rightly illegal.

Your statement IS clearly a threat, no construing or implied at all.

 

[quincy]

Watch the following video and contact an attorney if the police want to question you again or if you are charged with making a terroristic threat.

There should be no one in this country at this point who doesn't realize the seriousness of making threats of the sort you made, even if you made your comment in supposed jest.

 

[xylene]

Even without violent intent (which nothing you say disproves that) your statement would provoke alarm and, inconvenience for possibly thousasnd of people, the unnecessary use of police resources, and interference in the operation of an educational facility. All those are serious crimes.

 

[cbg]

I'm going to cut to the chase here.

Go to your favorite search engine and type in, Eldo Kim.

Then come back here and tell us if it's a big deal or not.

 

[quincy]

Here is a link to the law under which you potentially could be charged (New York Penal Code section 490.20):
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/490.20
Notice that it is not a defense to the charge that you had no intent to carry out the threat or were not capable of carrying out the threat.

 

[Just Blue]

I'm going to cut to the chase here.

Go to your favorite search engine and type in, Eldo Kim.

Then come back here and tell us if it's a big deal or not.

That was the exact case I thought of when reading the opening post.

 

[cbg]

Yeah, and I was working there and got the alerts of the threat.

 

[quincy]

We are far far far removed from the days when pulling a fire alarm in high school or calling in a fake threat, to get out of school early or to avoid a test, could be viewed as an innocent (albeit a misguided and suspendable) prank.

I am glad that whoever saw the threat considered it serious enough to report.

 

[nick1137t]

Yes,it's OBVIOUSLY and rightly illegal.

Your statement IS clearly a threat, no construing or implied at all.

Threat: a statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not done.

I did not make a threat. If I had actually called in a bomb threat or said in that chat that I was going to bomb something rather than saying that I was going to threaten to bomb something then I would have made a threat.

 

[cbg]

Nick, you did something stupid that could have landed you in jail. Whether you want to hear it or not. You said you'd appreciate any feedback - if you meant, you'd appreciate any feedback as long as it was to say you were right and the police were wrong you should have said so.

Because I was sitting in one of those buildings that Eldo Kim claimed had a bomb in it. And believe me, I would much rather that someone who knew what he was going to do (or claimed he was going to do because he was too STUPID - yes, I damn well am calling you stupid for thinking that in this day in age it would be seen as a joke) had come along and persuaded him of the error of his ways. You were wrong. The police were right. Grow up and accept that.

 

[commentator]

Arguing with police officers about what the law is or whether you were right or wrong to do something is NEVER a good idea. They have a very small sense of humor and may not appreciate yours.

 

[not2cleverRed]

Threat: a statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not done.

I did not make a threat. If I had actually called in a bomb threat or said in that chat that I was going to bomb something rather than saying that I was going to threaten to bomb something then I would have made a threat.

What do you call:

"Don't worry I'll call in a bomb threat so class will be cancelled and we wont have to take the text".

Please tell me you're in community college taking remedial courses, because the Urban Dictionary needs to be updated with you as the definition of "dim bulb". What rock have you been living under that you don't know that even jokingly making such statements ain't no joke?

You are in New York state. We don't take such things lightly here. Public school districts have drills so that children and staff will theoretically have a Safety Plan to guide them in such an event, in order to comply with Section 2801-a – Chapter 16, Title II, Article 55 . My kid's school has been on lockdown and lockout because other students have made inappropriate comments (not dissimilar to yours) on social media.

GROW UP.