the police will always respond to a report of an email threat
I had a conversation with a law enforcement friend the other day and I learned of two trends I wasn't aware of: one is the increasing number of people sending threats via email and two, the number of people installing key loggers illegally. He mentioned many of the key logger cases are couples in the midst of divorce or separation. I was unaware the police will always respond if you report receiving an email threat. The statute:
Regarding key loggers, it is unclear to me whether their use always violates federal wiretap laws or not. The most recent article I found discussing this in general is here: http://www.theregister.com/2005/10/04/secfocus_keyloggers/print.htmlUnder 18 U.S.C. 875(c), it is a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, to transmit any communication in interstate or foreign commerce containing a threat to injure the person of another. Section 875(c) applies to any communication actually transmitted in interstate or foreign commerce - thus it includes threats transmitted in interstate or foreign commerce via the telephone, e-mail, beepers, or the Internet.
