No. 13-983 In the Supreme Court of the United States ANTHONY D. ELONIS, PETITIONER v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT BRIEF FOR THE PETITIONER RONALD H. LEVINE JOHN P. ELWOOD ABRAHAM J. REIN Counsel of Record POST & SCHELL, P.C. RALPH C. MAYRELL Four Penn Ctr., 13th Fl. DMITRY SLAVIN 1600 John F. Kennedy VINSON & ELKINS LLP Blvd. 2200 Pennsylvania Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19103 NW, Suite 500 West (215) 587-1000 Washington, DC 20037 (202) 639-6500
[email protected] [Additional Counsel Listed On Inside Cover] DANIEL R. ORTIZ CONOR MCEVILY UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA VINSON & ELKINS LLP SCHOOL OF LAW 1001 Fannin Street, Suite SUPREME COURT 2500 LITIGATION CLINIC Houston, TX 77002 580 Massie Road (713) 758-2222 Charlottesville, VA 22903 (434) 924-3127 QUESTIONS PRESENTED It is a federal crime to “transmit[] in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing * * * any threat to injure the person of another,” 18 U.S.C. § 875(c). The questions presented are: 1. Whether, as a matter of statutory interpreta- tion, conviction of threatening another person under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c) requires proof of the defendant’s subjective intent to threaten. 2. Whether, consistent with the First Amendment and Virginia v. Black, 538 U.S. 343 (2003), conviction of threatening another person requires proof of the defendant’s subjective intent to threaten; or whether it is enough to show that a “reasonable person” would regard the statement as threatening. (I) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF AUTHORITIES.......................................V OPINIONS BELOW ....................................................1 JURISDICTION ..........................................................1 CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY PROVISIONS INVOLVED ....................................2 STATEMENT...............................................................2 A.