Today the Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments based around violent lyrics being posted on social media. The case questions if the publishing of violent lyrics is covered under the First Amendment right to free speech.
From Billboard:
“The justices will hear arguments Monday in the case of a man who was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for posting graphically violent rap lyrics on Facebook about killing his estranged wife, shooting up a kindergarten class and attacking an FBI agent.”
You might remember just a few months ago when James Evans was arrested for posting the lyrics to the song “Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer),” by Exodus. The song is about a school shooting, and landed Evans in jail for eight days. The charges were eventually dropped. The case the court is hearing involved a man that posted lyrics about murdering his wife and shooting up a school that he said was heavily influenced by Eminem. His wife didn’t see it that way, obviously. When an FBI agent stopped by to talk to him, he then posted lyrics about cutting her throat. He was sentenced to almost four years in prison.
