Teen Arrested for Terrorist Threats in Apple Store

Seven years in prison is a long time for something like that. But the kid should definitely be punished for it.

This is really just a big reminder of how terrible the prison system is in the USA. A much smaller punishment aimed at rehabilitation and driving the message home would do a much better job at fixing the problem. Seven years in prison will only help ruin a kid's life.

So much for freedom of speech/press in this country. If it was an airport, I'd better understand.

This kid is clearly not too bright. As long as he doesn't actually have the capability to do what he claimed he would, then jail time is a bit extreme. I'm sure that he is almost as scared right now as the Apple employees might have been. Add in some community service and this kids is PWNED.

Nah I would guess he is even more scared. Think if you were 17 and knowing u are going to jail for 7 years for something this petty.

To the person above that gave me -1, you want this country to become a large mass of land that is surrounded by bars? I did some very small bad things when I was around that age too and if I would've been put behind bars for that long for little childish stuff, how would that be so fair? All that's going to happen is it is going to cost the tax payers money to support this child in jail and also going to cost even more tax money when he gets out and has to go on welfare. Think before you red flag.

gg owned

I wouldn't say this has anything to do with freedom of speech. You are free to express your opinions, but threatening other with something like that is not expressing an opinion. I think the jailtime might be a bit extreme, but that type of prank is NOT funny and shouldn't be taken too lightly.

Freedom of speech/press does not include verbally threatening the safety of others. He faces up to 7 years. That certainly does not mean he will get 7 years. I would agree with jaglows3... I'm betting this kid is crapping his pants about now.

Foolish Fool

Only now do you realize the folly of your follies.

are you retarded? You don't go around threatening people regardless of the location or where you threatened them. Please write something threatening on Twitter,Myspace,Facebook or Tom's and see where that gets you. The courts allow that as evidence and there's no way to tell if it's a joke or not.

Writing this on a computer for other Americans to see who have no idea weather your joking or not is
a very serious matter. I think he should be punished pretty hard, seven years may be alittle strong but he definately needs some kind of punishment for scaring the heck out of people just trying to make a living at work without the treat of being killed by some mad man out there. Maybe two years at a work house and 10 years probation and a swift kick in the A _ s..................

I don't think he could have made his "seemingly funny prank" if he closed the document and deleted the file. How could it have been a prank if he deleted it? His story doesn't sound right.

Agreed that freedom of speech does not apply to a threat, even if you meant it as a joke. Still community service would better serve this kid. I think he gets it now.

As far as free speech goes please see Supreme Court cases Brandenburg v. Ohio, and Schenck v. United States, basically outlines why you can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater. As far as the kid goes, 7 years is pretty harsh. Community service without a doubt (washing out the rear end of garbage trucks or something), and maybe parade him around from school to school as an example of what can happen if you think malicious speech is funny.

It's easy to know if it was a prank... Does he own any C4 or other exploding devices? While I think this is a sad and pathetic thing for someone to do i don't think the punishment should be jail time. 1000 or 2000 hour’s community service would set him straight.

**If they found any explosive device of any kind, give him a bullet between the eyes.

I feel bad this happened...but I have to say I'm not surprised an Apple Store employee would read this and believe it. Just another example of the symptoms, and similar to how they believe anything that comes out of the house that Steve built.

it says "Barry thus typed out a seemingly threatening letter and left it open on the screen for an Apple
employee to read."
So all of you are saying he should get 7 years in prison because he "forgot" to delete it? If he deletes the file, there is no story, no person or property is harmed and all of are reading about AEE/CES still. That is some loose application of terrorism charges if you ask me. Shouldn't we use these types of charges only on real terrorists? I'm sure that DA could find a more appropriate charge than this for this kid.

Be ready kid to be used like an example more than find the true behind this history... The actual Law System is based in the ancient Roman Law System and it was design to control the masses, to keep the "Status quo" or that "The Politians remain in Power", not to bring justice in the first place, so kid will be used like an example for the masses and regain the calm that people claim to their governants.

Ahh, yes.

Since their unable to stop real terrorist it's important to make an example of those who obviously aren't, otherwise we might not thing our law enforcement officials are serious people.

This D.A. needs to be fired, immediately.

Wish I could edit my above post. I really don't like that "their" which should be "They're"

My point is, these jokers.... http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60E5TA20100115 are still not comfortable calling this a terrorist act yet, DA Donovan has this 17 year old pegged as a homegrown terrorist already. Is it because this kid was in New York?

Not Fcking funny.

But 7 Years!?!?

That is seriously harsh!!

Would have thought 3 would have been a bit stiff.

1 year possibly 2 as Dr.Meat's little plaything would be enough for a complete idiot like that to regret the day he was born

Well what would we be saying, if an Adult saw this kid writing the message, and the adult put foot to #$@ on this kid?? Is the adult in the wrong?? OR Worse,, With 15yr old's gang raping girls, or worse, pouring alcohol on a 14yr old, and setting him on fire.. I guess this kid will find out what it is like to be bubba's prison wife.. very soon.

Oh yeah, well I threaten to throw a grenade at this website and blow up all their HTML code! Put me behind bars, I'm ready.

Where are the "You want to go to jail for 7 years, there is an app for that" jokes?

"light of recent terrorist attacks nationwide."

However, District Attorney Daniel Donovan is taking the threat seriously in light of recent terrorist attacks nationwide.

What is attorney talking about? Did I miss any news? I reacall 9/11 to be the last attack, about 8 years ago.

Just kidding btw. Seriously c'mon. He was just playing a little joke. Cut him some slack.

Definately serious, but 7 years is way too much.

A few months to a year at most plus community service and a few psych sessions to explain why he can't go around doing stuff like that would be more appropriate if it really was intended as a "joke"

Counseling, apologizing to those he threatened and possibly community service makes sense. Any amount of jailtime is flat-out retarded.

The only thing that'll result in is a wasted youth with a chip on his shoulder and no respect for either the system or the community. In short, it'll punish everyone but him a lot more.

This kind of news, cue the topless tween in the other one, and the excessive, medieval punishments associated with them is an insult to the dual concepts of 'law' and 'justice' as well as humanity at large.

Chill, people. he was talking about his overheated iPhone....

The question is: Has Apple launched a lawsuit yet?

Take it all Biatch!!! LOL