In the wake of an eight-day prison stint, the charges laid against an Exodus fan after posting violent lyrics from the thrash group's "Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)" were dropped earlier this week.
The Associated Press reports that prosecutors have dropped charges of "terroristic threatening," stemming from a Facebook post 31-year-old Kentucky man James Evans made on August 24 that contained the lyrics "Student bodies lying dead in the halls, a blood splattered treatise of hate / Class dismissed is my hypothesis, gun fire ends in debate." Exodus likewise pointed to the news on their Facebook page.
As previously reported, the allegedly threatening post from Evans was seen by Muhlenberg County school officials and led to a warrant for the man's arrest, as authorities believed "he threatened to kill students and or staff at school." He was jailed, but released on September 3. At the time, Evans was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation, which he dismissed as "nonsense."
"I feel like my civil rights have been violated," he told 14 News. "You know first amendment freedom of speech out the window. Even all the guys I was in the cell with they thought it was nonsense themselves. I had several officials tell me it was nonsense that there was no reason why I should have even been here."
Exodus had issued statements on the matter, siding with Evans and citing the song as pure fiction. "James Evans was simply posting lyrics to a band he likes on Facebook, and he was locked up for it," guitarist Gary Holt had said at the time.
Evans' lawyer Bill Sharp said in an email statement that his client "is relieved that these very serious criminal charges have been dismissed, and he is grateful for all of the support he has received during this difficult time."
Had the case gone through, Evans could have faced up to a 10-year sentence on the charge of first-degree terroristic threatening.
The Associated Press reports that prosecutors have dropped charges of "terroristic threatening," stemming from a Facebook post 31-year-old Kentucky man James Evans made on August 24 that contained the lyrics "Student bodies lying dead in the halls, a blood splattered treatise of hate / Class dismissed is my hypothesis, gun fire ends in debate." Exodus likewise pointed to the news on their Facebook page.
As previously reported, the allegedly threatening post from Evans was seen by Muhlenberg County school officials and led to a warrant for the man's arrest, as authorities believed "he threatened to kill students and or staff at school." He was jailed, but released on September 3. At the time, Evans was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation, which he dismissed as "nonsense."
"I feel like my civil rights have been violated," he told 14 News. "You know first amendment freedom of speech out the window. Even all the guys I was in the cell with they thought it was nonsense themselves. I had several officials tell me it was nonsense that there was no reason why I should have even been here."
Exodus had issued statements on the matter, siding with Evans and citing the song as pure fiction. "James Evans was simply posting lyrics to a band he likes on Facebook, and he was locked up for it," guitarist Gary Holt had said at the time.
Evans' lawyer Bill Sharp said in an email statement that his client "is relieved that these very serious criminal charges have been dismissed, and he is grateful for all of the support he has received during this difficult time."
Had the case gone through, Evans could have faced up to a 10-year sentence on the charge of first-degree terroristic threatening.