Major v. Georgia

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The Georgia Supreme Court granted this interlocutory appeal to address whether the former version of OCGA 16-11-37(a), Georgia’s Terroristic Threats statute, was unconstitutionally overbroad and vague. Appellant Devon Major posted a statement to his Facebook page, ending with “Lord, please save me before, o (sic) get the chopper out and make Columbine look childish.” Shortly after the statement was published, a resource officer at Major’s school saw the post and contacted law enforcement. Officers then contacted Major who admitted posting the statement. He was arrested and indicted for threatening to commit a crime of violence against another “in reckless disregard of causing such terror” in violation of OCGA 16-11-37. Major filed an application for interlocutory appeal, which the Georgia Supreme Court granted, inquiring as to whether the statute was unconstitutionally void for vagueness and overbreadth because it permitted conviction based on recklessness. Based on the evidence in the record before it, the Supreme Court found the statute had not been unconstitutionally applied to Major. View "Major v. Georgia" on Justia Law