Is saying &quot;I want to kill somebody&quot; publicly illegal?
<p>I was thinking about a hypothetical legal question.</p>
<p>Could I, in the United States, legally say I want to kill someone? This is a civilian who is not well known and is not a government official.</p>
<p>I am asking this because I heard you can get arrested for saying you want to kill the POTUS, even without intent of doing it. Does this apply to a desire to murder, say, a coworker but not to actually carry it out?</p>
<p>I am a nonviolent person and I do not believe in murder war or anything like it.</p>

<h2><em>Threats</em> are illegal</h2>
<p>Whether “I want to kill X” is a threat or not depends on context.</p>
<p>“I want to kill my ex” while bitching with mates down the pub - not a threat. Same thing said to the ex in the middle of a screaming match might be a threat. Breaking into their house and writing it in the blood of their cat on their bathroom mirror is definitely a threat.</p>

first-amendment murder