S4, E26: When Are Online Threats Protected Free Speech?

When do menacing and unsavory statements cross the line from free speech to a "true threat" unprotected by the First Amendment? That’s the question the Supreme Court faced this week as they considered the case of a Colorado man convicted of stalking who says his First Amendment rights were violated when he was denied the right to explain the intent behind thousands of online messages he sent to a singer. We’ll talk through the questions the justices had at oral arguments, plus dive into the justices’ unanimous opinion allowing federal courts to hear challenges to the structure of government agencies that could have huge ramifications.