© 2025 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Ingham Prosecutor contends with rise in bogus terror threats

Stuart Dunnings III photo
Michigan Municipal League
/
flickr creative commons
Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III

Ingham County officials are charging more residents with making terror threats. Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings discusses what’s behind the surge and how one person’s “terror threat” is another’s “free speech.”

Not long after the 9-11 attacks, Michigan toughened laws involving bomb threats, including making a false terror threat. Still, for years mid-Michigan authorities rarely had occasion to invoke those charges. None happened in Ingham County between 2010 and 2013.

Lately, that's changed. Ingham County prosecutors have charged residents with the crime six times in the past 12 months.

Current State talks with Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings about that uptick and other recent developments including juvenile sentencing.

Related Content
Every WKAR News story you read is rooted in fact-based, local journalism, produced without commercial influence and available for free to everyone in mid-Michigan. No paywalls. Ever.

But this work doesn’t fund itself. With significant cuts to federal funding, public media is facing a critical moment. If you believe in journalism that serves the public interest, now is the time to act. Donate today.