United States of America v. Michael David Hanson

Salt Lake City, Utah, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with posting threats against then President Biden and Vice President Harris on the social media site X.

On December 22, 2023, Michael David Hanson, 44, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, posted “#joeAndKamala I’m asking you to resign on Monday your alternative is death brutally murdered…” on one of his X accounts. Hanson admitted that his threat was directed at President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and that he intended to communicate a threat of violence.

“Online death threats made against leaders of the United States are criminal acts, not protected speech,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “The U.S. Secret Service and Phoenix Police Department are to be commended for quickly identifying and arresting Mr. Hanson, whose 27-month sentence should serve as a warning that there are real-world consequences for threatening elected officials.”

”The U.S. Secret Service has zero tolerance for threats against our protectees. Let this serve as a warning. If you threaten the President of the United States, we will find you, we will arrest you and you will face justice,” said William Mack, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Phoenix Field Office. “We want to thank the Phoenix Police Department as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona for their assistance in this case.”

The U.S. Secret Service and Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

The Defendant was sentenced to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.