ATLANTA — The trial for a man charged with threatening singer Elton John was dropped Monday in Atlanta.
"I can't express the gratitude and joy that I feel not having to go to prison for the next 10 years," said Neal Horsley on Monday.
Horsley emerged from the DeKalb County Courthouse minutes after a judge dismissed charges alleging that he and Jonathan O'Toole threatened the life of singer Elton John.
Police arrested the pair after they posted a YouTube video that showed Horsley holding a sign that said "Elton John Must Die" outside John's Buckhead condo.
Horsley told Channel 2 Action News he was responding to John's recent comments that he believed Jesus Christ was a homosexual.
Horsley said he was only quoting the Bible and he never directly threatened to kill the musician.
"He has to die," said Horsley outside the courtroom Monday. Horsley said he meant John would die one day and then he would be judged.
Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams ruled the activist's actions didn't break the law, but she took the chance to admonish them.
"This court finds your conduct to be irresponsible, mean-spirited, and contrary to the general emotions of decency," said Adams.
"She was wrong to say what I did with Elton John was inappropriate," said Horsley.
Horsley told Channel 2 Action News reporter Mike Petchenik that he is running for governor on a platform of anti-abortion and anti-sodomy and he admitted that one of the reasons he did what he did was to get the media's attention on his campaign.
WSBTV
