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Page Number: 17.0

14 

COUNTERMAN v. COLORADO 

Opinion of the Court 

That standard, again, is recklessness.  It offers “enough
‘breathing space’ for protected speech,” without sacrificing
too  many  of  the  benefits  of  enforcing  laws  against  true 
threats.  Elonis, 575 U. S., at 748 (opinion of ALITO, J.).  As 
with any balance, something is lost on both sides: The rule 
we  adopt  today  is  neither  the  most  speech-protective  nor 
the  most  sensitive  to  the  dangers  of  true  threats.    But  in 
declining  one  of  those  two  alternative  paths,  something
more important is gained: Not “having it all”—because that
is  impossible—but  having  much  of  what  is  important  on 
both sides of the scale.7 

III 
It is time to return to Counterman’s case, though only a
few  remarks  are  necessary.  Counterman,  as  described 
above,  was  prosecuted  in  accordance  with  an  objective
standard.  See supra, at 3.  The State had to show only that
a  reasonable  person  would  understand  his  statements  as
threats.  It did not have to show any awareness on his part 
that the statements could be understood that way.  For the 
reasons stated, that is a violation of the First Amendment. 
We  accordingly  vacate  the  judgment  of  the  Colorado 
Court of Appeals and remand the case for further proceed-
ings not inconsistent with this opinion. 

It is so ordered. 

—————— 
suggesting that it required use of a purpose or knowledge standard.  As 
to the concurrence’s claim, Hamling held only that a statute with that 
standard was “constitutionally sufficient.”  418 U. S., at 123.  The deci-
sion said nothing about whether it was constitutionally necessary, or in-
stead whether a recklessness standard would suffice as well. 

7 The dissent accuses the Court of making a “Goldilocks judgment” in 
favoring  a recklessness  standard.  Post,  at  13  (opinion  of  BARRETT, J.).  
But in law, as in life, there are worse things than being “just right.”