Billy Raymond Counterman, Petitioner
In 2014, Billy Raymond Counterman began sending unwanted messages to a Denver-based country music singer, Coles Whalen (C.W.), on social media websites. Initially, the messages were relatively unassuming, informing Whalen of his interest in her work and providing details of his life. Over the next several years, however, some of the messages became threatening, including one that included the words: “Die. Don’t need you.” In 2016, after Whalen obtained a restraining order against Counterman, Colorado law enforcement arrested Counterman and charged him with violating a state anti-stalking law by causing Whalen emotional distress. In an April 2017 trial, a jury…
