LANSING, Mich., July 15, 2021 — State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) issued the following statement after a jury found Edward Thomas Kelman not guilty of making a violent threat involving an AR-15.
“I am saddened to learn that Kelman was found not guilty of the violent threat he made against my office. This verdict sets a dangerous precedent that the next time someone is unhappy with the government, all they have to do is call a legislator and threaten them to get what they want without repercussions. The increased number of attacks and armed intimidation we have witnessed since April 2020 will continue to rise now that people see that the courts will find someone innocent of threatening others as long as they say they didn’t actually mean it. No matter what the outcome was today, that phone call caused my staff and me to fear for our lives. I hope people will remember that a real person was on the receiving end of that threat and that will be enough to stop someone from doing the same in the future.”
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