POSC402 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Harry Blackmun, Commerce Clause, John Paul Stevens
7 Oct 2018
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On august 27, 1966 while attending a protest and discussing police brutality, eighteen-year-old robert watts stated, "i have already received my draft classification as 1-a and i have got to report for my physical this monday coming. If they ever make me carry a rifle the first man i want to get in my sights is l. b. j. " A federal statute makes it a crime to "knowingly and willfully" threaten the life of the. Watts was arrested, tried, and convicted in federal court for violating this statute. Watts argued the statement "did not constitute a "threat" within the language of the statute. " In a per curiam opinion, the court concluded, without hearing arguments, that. The court noted, "the language of the political arena is often vituperative, abusive, and inexact. " "context, and regarding the expressly conditional nature of the statement and the reaction of the listeners," the court ruled that watts" statement was not a true threat.
