Anthony Elonis was convicted of making interstate threats on the basis of violent posts published on Facebook, where he fantasized about killing his ex-wife and law enforcement. After the US Supreme Court agreed to review his conviction, EFF joined the Student Press Law Center and the PEN America Center in an amicus brief, arguing that the First Amendment requires the government prove a speaker must intend to convey a threat in order to be prosecuted for making a "threat."
In June 2015, the Supreme Court reversed Elonis' convictions, ruling that to convict under the statute, the government had to show that a speaker either intended to issue a threat or knew that their communication would be viewed as a threat. The Court declined to address any of the First Amendment issues raised in the case.
Sean D. Jordan, Kent C. Sullivan, Peter Ligh and Travis Mock of Sutherland LLP, wrote the brief.