Can disagreement on Twitter put you in jail?

The 54-year-old is facing criminal harassment charges for opposing a campaign by activists Steph Guthrie and Heather Reilly in 2012 against a young man who created an online video game allowing players to simulate punching feminist blogger Anita Sarkeesian in the face.

Can disagreement on Twitter put you in jail?

Man Could Spend Six Months In Jail For Arguing With Feminist On Twitter
the man, Greg Eliott disagreed with two women who were blogging against a video game. the game was described in a video article as having a image on the screen of a feminist and the gamer had a image of a person who could hit the image with fists. the two women who are feminist activists were making statements against the game developer. mr. elliott merely disagreed with the way the women were handling the situation. mr. ellitott's basic statement was, "he felt was just as offensive as the video game, as the repercussions against the boy could cause damage to his future."

for this the two women charged mr. eliott with harassment and he now faces six months in jail.

it's important to note, Gregory Elliott did not sexually harass the women. Gregory Elliott did not threaten violence against the women. Gregory Elliott merely disagreed with their political views and the way they were handling the video game developer.

video report of the case: www.youtube.com...

a reply to: subfab

He may be facing charges, but unless he is convicted, this is really a non-event.

originally posted by: AdmireTheDistance
a reply to: subfab

He may be facing charges, but unless he is convicted, this is really a non-event.

not true.

he still has to take time from work to be in court.
he still has to pay an attorney.
he still has to pay court fees.

a reply to: subfab

I do not think the court will do anything to him. In fact I think the case will get thrown out.

This is a US cases correct? If it is the UK then I am not so sure on that.

a reply to: subfab

Anyone can file charges against anyone for anything. News outlets will comb for stories like this, come up with some theorized sentence to the charge and wow, there's an eye catching headline... All i get from this is that this guys going to get about 6 figures richer when he sues.

a reply to: subfab

This is just another example of how pathetic the justice system has become....this kind of garbage should have never been filed to begin with..

a reply to: Grimpachi

canada not united states

a reply to: subfab

I stumped on the outcome in that case.

I am not familiar with the legal system there.

originally posted by: subfab

originally posted by: AdmireTheDistance
a reply to: subfab

He may be facing charges, but unless he is convicted, this is really a non-event.

not true.

he still has to take time from work to be in court.
he still has to pay an attorney.
he still has to pay court fees.

Eta: I should read first.

See he was arrested and what not, very strange indeed.

originally posted by: AdmireTheDistance
a reply to: subfab

He may be facing charges, but unless he is convicted, this is really a non-event.

...and with that thinking the Politically COrrect movement will continue to rot and destroy all intellect from society.

from the looks of it, canadian cops are just as screwed up in what they charge people with as the rest of the world.
the investigating officer said that he never once threatened the women, never said he wanted to bang them, never called them two spoiled ____t's, nothing the man did or said was harassment. so why the hell did the cop charge him and arrest him.
could it be the police were afraid of being seen as politically incorrect, or could it be that these two women have some pull with some body.

hopefully the judge ain't no little whiny groveling PC liberal and dismissed the charges, or better yet finds the man not guilty.

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

If the judge is a "whiny, grovelling PC liberal" there's still no chance this man will be convicted, as Canada in general kind of frowns on frivolous lawsuits.

It will likely get thrown out like the non event it is.

a reply to: subfab

this story is a year old. not sure why its suddenly being presented as a new story and completely out of context...sounds like certain outlets are starved for content. he was arrested for stalking, not for arguing, but you don't have to even know that to know that no one got arrested just for arguing on twitter.

and anyone who thinks its a good idea to make a game about punching a woman in the face can have his future ruined twice over as far as i'm concerned.

a reply to: Atsbhct

from what i'm reading it's a criminal charge, unless civil lawsuits in Canada result in jail time.
i mean it says he's facing six months in jail right?

ETA: here is a little more info and yes it is a criminal charge.

"The criminal harassment charge is rooted in the alleged victim’s perception of the offending conduct.
I Support Gregory Alan Elliott

and yes there was a criminal trail.

What’s believed to be the first case in Canada of alleged criminal harassment-via-Twitter is just a judge’s decision away from being over.

Elliott is charged with criminally harassing two Toronto female political activists, Steph Guthrie and Heather Reilly, in 2012.

both above are from Chri stie Blatchford: Ruling in Twitter harassment trial could have enormous fallout for free speech


the article above is dated yesterday, so tyhe case is still pending.

checkout what the one of the women had to say about the man defending himselfin the first article.

When he asked her to point to one — just one — that had instilled fear in her, she snapped, “That’s not how feelings work, Mr. Murphy. They develop over time.” When the lawyer suggested she wasn’t fearful, that she’d made fun of Mr. Elliott and taunted him, she sighed theatrically and said, “There’s no perfect victim, Mr. Murphy, and no perfect way to respond to being stalked. Sometimes you have to fight back a little bit…. I’m sorry if I wasn’t a perfect victim.”
Mr. Murphy then suggested that what Mr. Elliott had been doing was defending himself, and his views, when he was being attacked on Twitter by her and the other complainants. Wasn’t he entitled to do that? “He’s entitled to defend himself to the world, Mr. Murphy; he’s not entitled to do it to me.” “No matter what you say about or to him?” Mr. Murphy asked. “Not to me,” she said.

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

The verdict won't be read until October 6th, and even as a criminal trial, I'm fully suspecting the judge will say it's a ridiculous waste of the courts time.

My bet would be that the judge advises them both to not contact the other and for the accuser to pay the court fees.

When I just had the twitter there'd all the trolls was been anyway? It makes no sense at all. Why make the games? It's just the mind games. When I was the child then was none the this twatter business anyway.

a reply to: Atsbhct

suspecting the judge will say it's a ridiculous waste of the courts time.

wouldn't the time for that been at the beginning of the trial. seems to me if that is the judge's thoughts, it should have never made to trial.

why go through the trial, especially after this was said.

There’s no allegation that Mr. Elliott ever made sexual comments to Ms. Guthrie or the other two complainants in the case, or that he even threatened any of them. The investigating Toronto Police officer, Detective Jeff Banglid, already has testified to this, and Ms. Guthrie has acknowledged it herself.

Kinda surprised no one is pointing out how wrong it is to wield femininity like a legal weapon against people.

If that is a "feminist activist", it probably explains why I have a generally poor opinion of that particular demographic.

a reply to: notmyrealname

So being Incorrect presevrves what, all 3 brain cells? I kid.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Why not? "Masculinity" has been used as a weapon against people for centuries.