Judge Rules Threats to Kill Jews and Zionists Are Federal Offenses
Judge David Alan Ezra ruled that broad threats to kill Jews and Zionists are punishable offenses.
Why it matters: This ruling clarifies that general threats targeting religious groups fall within federal criminal statutes. It guides criminal law and civil rights practitioners on boundaries around prosecutable hate speech.
- Judge David Alan Ezra made the ruling in U.S. v. Griffin, a case involving threats on Gab.
- Griffin was indicted on four counts under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c) for interstate transmission of threatening communications.
- The Grand Jury found Griffin targeted synagogues and Zionists because of their religion.
- Griffin pleaded Not Guilty on July 28, 2026.
In the case of U.S. v. Griffin, Judge David Alan Ezra ruled that broad, general threats to kill Jews and Zionists are punishable under federal law, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), which prohibits interstate transmission of threatening communications.
The defendant, identified as Griffin, posted violent threats on the social media platform Gab, stating, "I can pick any synagogue I want and go postal on it" and declaring, "Zionists do not have the authority to lecture me on sexual morals or anything else. They're criminals and I am going to kill them."
The Grand Jury made special findings that Griffin intentionally targeted synagogues and Zionists based on their actual or perceived religion, establishing his threats as hate crimes against religious groups. This aligns with previous federal efforts to combat antisemitic threats, as emphasized by U.S. Attorneys David Metcalf and Theodore S. Hertzberg, who have condemned such hate speech as attacks on both communities and fundamental freedoms.
Griffin entered a plea of Not Guilty on July 28, 2026. Details about his defense arguments or final sentencing remain unavailable.
This ruling reinforces the legal boundaries for prosecuting hate speech when it escalates to credible threats of violence against protected religious groups, providing clear precedent for future federal prosecutions.
By the numbers:
- 4 counts — Griffin indicted under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c)
- July 28, 2026 — Griffin entered a Not Guilty plea