California has leveled misdemeanor charges against 41-year-old Mark Feigin after he sent five anti-Muslim posts to the Islamic Center of Southern California’s (ICSC) Facebook page in 2016.
The California Attorney General’s office argues that his comments constituted “repeated contact by means of an electronic communication device” with “intent to annoy or harass,” a misdemeanor under California law, Reason.com reported Friday. California courts are scheduled to begin the trial Jan. 2, according to court records. Feigin admitted in October 2016 that he wrote the following comments between Sept. 17 and 25 of the same year.
“THE TERROR HIKE … SOUNDS LIKE FUN” (In reference to the Center’s advertised “Sunset Hike”) “THE MORE MUSLIMS WE ALLOW INTO AMERICA THE MORE TERROR WE WILL SEE.” “PRACTICING ISLAM CAN SLOW OR EVEN REVERSE THE PROCESS OF HUMAN EVOLUTION.” “Islam is dangerous – fact: the more muslim savages we allow into america – the more terror we will see -this is a fact which is undeniable.” “Filthy muslim shit has no place in western civilization.”
ICSC Communications Coordinator Kristin Stangas blocked Feigin soon after he made the final post, but also kept copies of the comments to pursue legal action. The Los Angeles Police Department arrested Feigin Oct. 19 and interviewed him. Feigin is now arguing that his charges should be dismissed because they are based on an unconstitutional application of the law.
Specifically, Cal. Penal Code § 653m(b) states that “every person who, with intent to annoy or harass, makes repeated telephone calls or makes repeated contact by means of an electronic communication device … to another person is … guilty of a misdemeanor. Nothing in this subdivision shall apply to telephone calls or electronic contacts made in good faith or during the ordinary course and scope of business.”
Cooper Myers
The AG’s office argues that Facebook comments are not legally different from telephone calls in this circumstance, and that Feigin’s intent was clearly to “annoy or harass,” making his actions illegal.
Camden Morris
stop using facebook
Anthony King
There’s a bigger issue at hand here.
Xavier King
Fuck Muslims but I actually don't have a huge problem with this. If you keep contacting someone who has asked you to stop its harassment. This isn't even about free speech.
Chase Peterson
i love living in cali. every other us state i've visited besides new york is like going back in time compared to cali
Isaac Myers
There getting as bad as us.
Jayden Rivera
Where does it say he continued after they asked him to stop? They blocked him and he didn’t (couldn’t) do any more.
Nathan Gutierrez
>California Prosecutes Man For Posting Anti-Muslim Messages On Facebook no, you fucking retard. he was prosecuted for harassment, plain and simple. stop trying to create artificial outrage and fucking hang yourself for being this obtuse.
Nolan Martinez
That's a violation of the First Amendment. If this doesn't start the second Civil War, then Rural and Suburbs are confirmed retarded and major pussies.
Gavin Reyes
Don’t post this again here, or you are harassing me, the OP. Got it? I’m screencapping this. I live in California, so there.
Michael Ross
Fake news. It was harassment.
Nathaniel Hall
>He says as puts his quran in it's shrine and contemplates which daughter to rape tonight
I know you people are really incest and your brains don't form correctly but there is a thing called the block button.
>inb4 Ahalllhhhhuuuu Ackbbbbbarrrrr!!!! Boom!!!
Luis Carter
would you like to borrow my rope?
Asher Watson
Everything he wrote was true.
Oliver Mitchell
That's not a defense for harassing someone.
Liam Foster
>There getting as bad as us.
Anthony James
>you can legally rape and murder people in CA >Cant send mean messages over the internet Burn them all Fire-chan
Josiah Thomas
Be kind, English is probably his second language
Kayden Taylor
>“THE TERROR HIKE … SOUNDS LIKE FUN” (In reference to the Center’s advertised “Sunset Hike”) >“THE MORE MUSLIMS WE ALLOW INTO AMERICA THE MORE TERROR WE WILL SEE.” >“PRACTICING ISLAM CAN SLOW OR EVEN REVERSE THE PROCESS OF HUMAN EVOLUTION.” >“Islam is dangerous – fact: the more muslim savages we allow into america – the more terror we will see -this is a fact which is undeniable.” >“Filthy muslim shit has no place in western civilization.”
David Allen
What is the block button for 500, Alex?
Leo Collins
Yeah he shouldn't have been harassing the Islamic Center
You're retarded
Liam Collins
Remember, liberals dont punish you for lying, they punish people for telling the truth
Jose Jenkins
I hear you but I don't know if that matters here. The story lacks detail. I'll admit I read it quickly to begin with. But the wording of the law that they quoted makes me think he kept doing it after requests to stop. That's usually the legal standard for harassment.
Lincoln Gutierrez
Nice fake news.
Austin Wilson
So if I am at a protest and say these things to a group of muslims, I should be prosecuted? What is the difference if it is electronic communication or in person? Prosecution is still a violation of the first amendment. So many nanny state faggots in this thread.
Samuel Taylor
>So if I am at a protest and say these things to a group of muslims, I should be prosecuted? It's not a matter of "should", but if you keep saying it after they make it clear they want you to stop, it is possible for them to file a harassment claim, and the authorities can legally enforce it.
Isaiah Murphy
that's great news! can't wait for trump to file harassment lawsuits against all of the "resist" protesters! all he has to do is tell them to stop!
Gavin Foster
>When mobs of leftists use a heckler's veto to shut down right wing speakers it's "free speech" >When a man makes politically unpopular statement on a public message board it's "harrasment"
The absolute state of the First amendment in this country.
Aaron Martin
It's legally possible, but he wouldn't do it for obvious reasons.
Hudson Martin
he made the mistake of communicating with the same organization instead of just saying stuff on his own facebook page or ranting here on Sup Forums . because he knew it was the same people it can be considered harassment.
name fags are uncommon here and freedom of speech allows him to express himself as he sees fit assuming there are no threats against specific people who are american citizens. our laws dont actually cover foreigners even foreign world leaders i can threaten merkel all day and they wont extradite me or take me to court. if they do then politicians would be in deep shit. they cant set that precedent and politicians talk all kinds of shit about foreign nations and world leaders some times there are threats
Joshua Price
you don't think that would be a violation of the first amendment? regardless of some dumb state law?
Nathan Nelson
This won't stand up to First Amendment scrutiny. It's so general, "Intent to harass" it encroaches on the man's Constitutional rights. What a waste of govt. resources. That's Commiefornia 4 u.
Jack Young
>ICSC Communications Coordinator Kristin Stangas blocked Feigin soon after he made the final post, but also kept copies of the comments to pursue legal action.
How the fuck is it harassment if they literally blocked him and he stopped posting?
I hope this gets the Streisand effect and people from all around the world start shitposting on that page.
Isaiah Cooper
A HAHAHAHAHAH LMAO NIGGA JUST CLOSE THE LAPTOP N SHIEET California needs to get nuked for this shit already. It's unironically a communist state as of 2018 now. Inb4 commie control act of 1954 kicks in later down the road
Michael Kelly
Nope. If the guy in the article said the stuff on his own facebook page (as pointed out), there wouldn't be an issue. Even if one of those muslims saw his page and got offended, they couldn't take legal action because there's no such thing as "the right to not be offended". However, by making contact with the muslims after having been told to stop, he can have legally have harassment charges filed against him, if the harassee so chooses.
Note that I'm not taking the muslims' side at all, but these are the laws. The article makes it seem like a great injustice has taken place, while it's actually just business as usual. If, for example, a muslim harrassed a christian organization on kikebook, they could have the exact same types of charges filed.
Jacob Thompson
Yeah I have to admit this part is key. After reading the story too fast I assumed they had tried in earnest to get him to stop but he continued. This is straight up criminalizing speech.
Samuel Wood
just fucking nuke that state already
Colton Ortiz
See:
Jace Richardson
You have to be told to stop for it to be harassment, instead they blocked him and nothing else came of it
This is total PC bullshit
Daniel Jackson
see
Chase Cook
So if this is the same as making a phone call, why isn't Facebook a utility?
Xavier Cook
If he continued afterwards, wouldn't it be on the court docket? The only conclusion is that after he was blocked he no longer sent messages because otherwise they would have put these post-block messages in the court docket.
Evan Harris
Free speech is dead
Chase Sullivan
Hmm, I missed that part. That definitely changes things. Does the AG's office really think that this will hold any water?
Gabriel Cooper
>charged for harassment and not defamation Does this mean they agree with his statements, but argue that he still shouldnt say it? Is California /our state/?
Tyler Howard
Soon whites will be forced to say and work for non-whites at will of jews and obama-like out of control puppets. Like those Christians who were forced to bake an anal cake
Hunter Rivera
Its not harassment if they dont say stop they juat let him keep doingnit then when tophey had enough they blocked him and contacted a lawyer its one thing if he was calling and texting them for days but it was just 4 posts its not harassment so now anyone can do what these ppl did if you say anything wrong now
Jayden Murphy
Sounds like legitimate harrasent desu.
Adam Gomez
It is probably more about optics than anything else. They know it won't hold up, but it is to send a message. Also, even if the guy was asked to stop and did not, I still don't think they would have a good case. Things get iffy when you're trying to apply this law to a privately owned social media platform and not a public utility.
Brandon Turner
Law fag here. No threats, no crime. Its called aggravated harassment- when the harassment occurs over electronic means. Cali is commie, but upon appeal, case dismissed. And possibly a lawsuit against the local/Cali PD. MAtter of fact, I might just send similar messages to them and other muslum organizations.
If he had posted something like: The Terror Hike.... Sounds like I'm gonna kill you." or The more muslims we allow in america, the more I'll kill you". Then these charges apply.
This is not amu differenet that Kathy Griffen and her beheading Trump VID. Fun Fun FUN!
Xavier Perry
This isn't a Muslim issue, little mad christcuck boy.
It's a harassment issue. I don't think his 5 comments justify a harassment charge though
This is the ridiculous thing. There are countless people who are guilty of direct, targeted, malicious, self-service, derogatory and defamatory harassment of Trump just on twitter alone. These people could easily be charged with a crime.
I believe in Germany it's illegal to even mildly 'harass' politicians (or something like that) and you don't want to go down that path. I also fail to believe there would be charges levied against someone doing the same thing against some church in this case. Imagine someone like Richard Spencer winning a suit against some a critic for 5 directed messages over a week period?
Christian Cox
Actually, maybe this guy has the right idea, get the message out whatever the cost. If we all started to do what this man has done then they couldn't arrest everyone, shitposting goes mainstream let it be so
Nathaniel Johnson
Unless they want to arrest and prosecute every person who says mean things in Facebook comments to the same person/organization more than once, they should probably drop the charges.
Logan Flores
Nobody fishes where I am fishing. I will kill you all and make you into cancer and lobster bait
Jordan Morgan
noo it's the wrong thread
But my lake is my lake, and you do not get n ear it
Josiah Phillips
He should have been summarily executed tbqh, racists deserve no quarter
David Moore
>Cal. Penal Code § 653m(b) states that “every person who, with intent to annoy or harass, makes repeated telephone calls or makes repeated contact by means of an electronic communication device … to another person is … guilty of a misdemeanor. >makes repeated contact by means of an electronic communication device … to another person >to another person
Islamic Center of Southern California’s (ICSC) is a person?
The guy needs to press a lawsuit against the State of California for a violation of his First Amendment right to Free Speech. How the California penal code is being use is outside its scope of law and unconstitutional. I'm sure the Department of Justice would love to jump in and fuck with California over the matter!
Jeremiah Bell
he got arrested because of phone calls saying he was going to kill them, not fucking cherry picked comments like OP is trying to spin with his garbage faggot website.
grow a brain you fucking idiots.
the part about this story worth mentioning is that he wasnt arrested because of facebook, or because he had guns, it was because of 2 phonecalls which police have no evidence he actually made (but chances are he did)
Adam Williams
The man never continued once blocked. The center was able to end his communication at any time. That they waited so many messages has no bearing on anything.
Christian Garcia
>if you keep saying it after they make it clear they want you to stop
Then it is a good thing he stopped as soon as he was blocked. He did not try and circumvent the block.
Brody Williams
It is like your crazy ex-wife getting a restraining order against you, and then seeing old posts made by you on her wall and reporting those to the police for violation of the restraining order.