INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ The state Supreme Court says a southeastern Indiana man's online rants against the judge who handled his divorce went beyond the limits of protected free speech.
The court on Thursday upheld Dan Brewington's 2011 conviction for intimidation.
The ruling says Brewington's threats of arson and beatings clearly threatened the safety of the judge and crossed the boundaries of his right to free speech.
Brewington says he didn't intend for the threats to be taken seriously.
Brewington's attorney didn't immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment.
The case has drawn the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union, the conservative Eagle Forum, constitutional scholars and the James Madison Center for Free Speech, represented by Republican lawyer James Bopp.
