No prison for Calif. man convicted of Obama threat
25 mins ago
SAN DIEGO – A California man who posted Internet messages about killing Barack Obama during last year's presidential campaign has avoided federal prison.
Walter Bagdasarian (Bag-duh-SAHR'-ee-uhn) was sentenced Monday to 24 days of prison time already served, 60 days in a halfway house, two years of supervised release and a $500 fine.
The 48-year-old La Mesa man was convicted of posting threatening messages on a Yahoo Finance message board last October.
One used a racial slur and said Obama should be shot. Another read: "He will have a 50 cal in the head soon." Authorities say they found a .50-caliber rifle in his home.
Bagdasarian's lawyer argued that his client was drunk at the time and never meant to carry out the threats.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091026/...obama_threat_1