A right-wing New Jersey blogger has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for making death threats against three federal judges in Illinois.
Hal Turner was sentenced Tuesday in New York City federal court.
The case stemmed from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2009 by three judges that upheld a district court decision dismissing lawsuits that challenged handgun bans in Chicago and Oak Park, Ill.
Turner protested the decision with inflammatory remarks posted online. Prosecutors say he crossed the line by declaring, “These judges must die.”
Turner had claimed his tirades were protected by the constitutional right to free speech.
The case was moved to Brooklyn based on a change-of-venue ruling. Two previous trials ended with hung juries.
HP
