In a federal courtroom in lower Manhattan on Monday, Robert Lemke, a California man and devoted Donald Trump supporter, was sentenced to three years in prison. The case illustrated the real-life consequences of the Big Lie.
I was in the courtroom along with CNN's Don Lemon because we were both on the receiving end of Lemke's threats, and we wanted the judge to hear first-hand accounts of what it was like.
Many reporters are sadly accustomed to receiving threats and harassment in connection with their work. For some, the intimidation can have a chilling effect. For others, it can become like brutal background noise, accepted as part of the job, even when the threats rise to the level of a felony. Prosecutions are rare. Consequences are rare. So maybe this case will matter. "The need to deter others from other similar conduct is evident," U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said before adjourning the hearing.
http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/california-man-sentenced-3-years-prison-making-threats-against-political-officials-and
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