We defend terrorist threats cases. Contact Van Severen Law Office today.
Mass-shootings throughout the United States are becoming more common. In the same fashion, the threat to commit acts of violence increased. At Van Severen Law Office we provide terrorist threats defense. Certainly, this serious crime is a felony, and should be defended by a top criminal defense attorney.
If you’re charged with terrorist threats, or any other criminal offense, contact Van Severen Law Office immediately. Our criminal defense attorneys focus on providing the very best criminal defense throughout Wisconsin. And we travel. No matter how far your case is from Milwaukee, WI, we can help. Contact Van Severen Law Office at (414) 270-0202 today. Finally, we also defend similar charges like arson and bomb scares.
Terrorist threats – prohibited in 947.019 of the Wisconsin Statutes
Firstly, section 947.019 of the Wisconsin Statutes prohibits terrorist threats. The law indicates:
Whoever, under any of the following circumstances, threatens to cause the death of or great bodily harm to any person or to damage any person’s property is guilty of a Class I felony:
The actor intends to prevent the occupation of or cause the evacuation of a building, dwelling, school premises, vehicle, facility of public transportation, or place of public assembly or any room within a building, dwelling, or school premises; or
The actor intends to cause public inconvenience; or
The actor intends to cause public panic or fear; or
The actor intends to cause an interruption of governmental operations or public communication, of transportation, or of a supply of water, gas, or other public service; or
The actor creates an unreasonable and substantial risk of causing one of the previous results and is aware of that risk.
Any person who violates sub. (1) and thereby contributes to any individual’s death is guilty of a Class G felony.
What are the elements of terrorist threats?
Secondly, like all other crimes, terrorist threats has elements. Those elements need to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. There are two versions of this crime: intentional terrorist threats and reckless terrorist threats.
Intentional Terrorist Threats
Specifically, Wisconsin Jury Instruction Criminal 1925A provides the elements of intentional terrorist threats:
Firstly, the defendant threatened to cause the death of or bodily harm to any person or to damage any person’s property; and
The defendant intended to prevent the occupation of or cause the evacuation of a building, cause public inconvenience, cause public panic or fear, or cause an interruption or impairment of governmental operations.
A “threat” is an expression of intention to do harm and may be communicated orally, in writing, or by conduct. This requires a true threat. “True threat” means that a reasonable person making the threat would foresee that a reasonable person would interpret the threat as a serious expression of intent to do harm. It is not necessary that the person making the threat have the ability to carry out the threat.
Reckless Terrorist Threats
Specifically, Wisconsin Jury Instruction Criminal 1925B provides the elements of reckless terrorist threats:
Firstly, the defendant threatened to cause the death of or bodily harm to any person or to damage any person’s property; and
The defendant created and unreasonable and substantial risk of preventing the occupation of or causing the evacuation of a building, causing public inconvenience, causing public panic or fear, or causing an interruption or impairment of governmental operations; and
The defendant was aware of that risk.
Reckless terrorist threats don’t include the requirement that the defendant intend to cause these results. Instead, the defendant’s actions or words caused the results.
Our criminal defense attorneys work on terrorist threats cases. Contact us immediately for representation.
What if an individual dies after terrorist threats?
Obviously this is the situation described in section 947.019(2) of the Wisconsin Statutes. It is also what occurs sometimes during swatting situations. Any defendant who violates section 947.019 of the Wisconsin Statutes, and a death occurs, has violated a much more serious law. While terrorist threats are normally a Class I felony, the crime jumps to a Class G felony if an individual somehow dies.
To clarify, the way this occurs is simple: Terrorist threats result in a lot of police action. Police are armed. Frequently police in terrorist threat situations will possess long guns, shotguns, and other weapons. If police kill an individual while responding to a false terrorist threat, this statute applies.
Contact Van Severen Law Office for top terrorist threats defense
Significantly, at Van Severen Law Office we focus on providing the best criminal defense in Wisconsin. Certainly our intelligent, aggressive strategies frequently allow us to do that. If you are charged with terrorist threats, contact us immediately. We answer phones 24/7 at (414) 270-0202. So call us now and let’s get started on your case.
