US SC quashes conviction for Facebook threats

The United States Supreme Court has quashed the conviction of a Pennsylvania man accused of making threats on Facebook.

In a seven-to-two ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts noted that it was not enough for the prosecutors to prove that the comments made by the accused, Anthony Elonis, would make a reasonable person feel threatened, reported CBS News.

Elonis was accused of making threats on Facebook in the form of rap lyrics about killing his estranged wife, harming law enforcement officials and shooting up a school. He contended that the government had no right to prosecute him if he didn't actually intend his comments to be threatening to others.

However, the Obama administration had said that the test would be to determine if the comments could strike fear in a reasonable person.