JONATHAN TURLEY Over the years, we have discussed the prosecution of people who encourageĀ friendsĀ orĀ strangersĀ to commit suicide. I have raised free speech concerns over prior prosecutions in the ambiguous line often drawn by prosecutors. The most recent case of Inyoung You, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter last week after repeatedly telling her boyfriend, Alexander Urtula, to kill himself. Both were students at Boston College and had a tumultuous 18 month relationship.
The couple met at Boston College and police say that You was highly abusive to Urtule. Her calls for his suicideĀ reportedly beganĀ after she learned that he had met with his former girlfriend.
In a case similar to that of theĀ Michele Carter prosecution in Massachusetts, You encouraged Urtula to kill himself. This case, however, is even worse with You sending a ābarrageā of more than 75,000 text messages, including repeated calls for him to kill himself. In one text to the 22-year-old, she told him ādo everyone a favor and go f**king kill yourself, youāre such a f**king stupid ass worthless s**t.āĀ Urtule proceeded to jump off the top of a building just hours before his graduation with his family from New Jersey waiting to watch him walk across the stage…
