San Diego Criminal & Terrorist Threats Attorney

Threat of Violence, Injury, Panic

The statute defines a terrorist or criminal threat as “a threat of violence, threat to hurt, injure or kill” another or others “with the intent of intimidating or frightening them, or causing public panic.” Thus, the threat could also be against a single individual, known to the perpetrator. The threat could be made over the phone, in person, in writing, or electronically. Examples of criminal and terrorist threats include:

• sending a threatening e-mail (e.g., to a church or an abortion clinic)
• terrorizing neighbors based on their nationality, race or sexual preference
• threatening to hurt an ex-spouse’s new “significant other”
• telling airline personnel that you have a weapon
• calling in a bomb threat (e.g., to a school or theater)
• stalking an ex-lover and leaving threatening phone messages for him/her
• threatening to kill someone

Penalties for Terrorist Threats

A district attorney has the discretion to charge a terrorist threat as a felony (with penalties that include up to three years in state prison) or misdemeanor (punishable by a fine, jail time, counseling, a “stay-away” order, and other consequences such as a request for a restraining order against you). A felony terrorist threat is considered a “Strike” under California’s “Three Strikes Law.” The seriousness of the threat, its consequences, and the defendant’s prior criminal history will be factored into the charge and the sentence if the defendant is convicted.