With every hardcore, dedicated fan of a political leader comes a handful of strong opponents, especially when the political leader in question is the President of the United States. Not everyone is going to agree with how a politician is running the country, interacting with various societal groups, and implementing new policies. Most people have come to terms with the fact that disagreement, debate, and discontent are somewhat expected in a democratic republic.
However, one college student at Miami-Dade College might have taken his discontent a little too far. 20-year-old Joaquin Amador Serrapio Jr. is accused of posting a variety of threats against President Barack Obama on Facebook and could face up to five years in prison if convicted. Presidential threats are not taken lightly and Serrapio is learning this the hard way.
The central question of the trial is whether Serrapio actually intended to carry out his threats or if he was “just joking.” The threats were posted in February when Obama was visiting the University of Miami to give a speech. Security was tight and the Secret Service was not amused with Serrapio’s antics. The Secret Service revealed that in one post, Serrapio threatened to put a bullet in the president’s head. Another post was used to recruit help with an assassination of the president.
Serrapio is pleading not guilty, leading people to believe that his “threats” were merely jokes. There is no indication or evidence that Serrapio ever intended to carry out the threats and his lawyer says that Serrapio did not truly want to hurt the president. Nevertheless, Serrapio will learn to subdue his political dissatisfaction in the future.
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