Chicagoan Stephen Bona has been found guilty of two counts of threatening Republican state Rep. Jeanne Ives, according to MySuburbanLife.com .
Bona left messages such as "we know where you live," "there's no longer a ban on assault weapons" and "think about that before you speak next time" after Ives made statements on a radio program about same-sex marriage and concealed carry gun laws.
In a press release, DuPage County State's Attorney Robert B. Berlin said, "The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees everyone the right to free speech. What the First Amendment does not do however, is to allow free speech to digress into threats against public employees or elected officials. These men and women who have chosen public service must be allowed to do their jobs without having to worry about their personal safety or the safety of their families. Today, a jury agreed and found that Mr. Bona did indeed threaten Representative Ives."
On March 25, 2013, a $150,000 arrest warrant was issued for Bona. The Wheaton Police Department took him into custody later that day and he was released after posting bond. While probationable, a Class 3 felony is punishable by up to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Bona's next court appearance is scheduled for April 29 for return of the pre-sentence report and sentencing.
The article is at www.mysuburbanlife.com/2016/03/17/chicago-man-found-guilty-of-threatening-state-rep-jeanne-ives/a713i4/ .