Jury Acquits Client of Felony Terroristic Threats

The Felony Terroristic threats statute is a very broad offense. Minn. Stat. 609.713 provides “Whoever threatens, directly or indirectly, to commit any crime of violence with purpose to terrorize another” is guilty of a felony. An insincere “I’m gonna kill you” or “do that and your dead” can result in a felony charge.

Client was charged with felony terroristic threats. It was alleged he confronted the mother of his child over the whereabouts of his child. She had disappeared with his daughter for nearly a year, and he had not seen or heard from her. He confronted her in a public place on the same morning her children were taken by social services. She manufactured a story that he had threatened to kill her boyfriend, who was with her, and that he reached for a knife. By entering evidence of the current child dispute and citing it as a motive for her to lie, and by noting the inconsistency of her testimony with the video, Alex De Marco secured a “not guilty” verdict on the charge of felony terroristic threats. The defense presented no witnesses other than the defendant.

If you’ve been charged with terroristic threats, you should know it is one of the most difficult cases for the state to prove at trial if you have a lawyer that knows the law and the rules of evidence. Don’t just hire any lawyer. Invest in your defense. Call Cavaleri & De Marco today. 651-705-8829