US Government Ups Felony Count In JSTOR/Aaron Swartz Case From Four To Thirteen

from the trumped-up-kicks dept

Not much has been said about the Aaron Swartz case over the past year as the wheels of "justice" slowly grind their way to an eventual court date. Swartz, the executive director of Demand Progress, was charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, a catch-all designation for "computer activity the US government doesn't like."

Swartz had accessed MIT's computer network to download a large number of files from JSTOR, a non-profit that hosts academic journal articles. US prosecutors claimed he "stole" several thousand files, but considering MIT offered this access for free on campus (and the files being digital), it's pretty tough to square his massive downloading with any idea of "theft."

Not only that, but JSTOR was not the entity pressing charges. It had stopped the downloading and secured the "stolen" content, along with receiving assurances from Swartz that the files would not be distributed. Despite this, the feds felt compelled to arrest Swartz and charge him with four felony counts (one each for Wire Fraud, Computer Fraud, Theft of Information from a Computer and Recklessly Damaging a Computer). At this point, Swartz was looking at a possible 35-year sentence and over $1,000,000 in fines.

Whoever's pushing this case must really dislike Swartz and/or his activities. A "Superseding Indictment" (pdf) has been filed, raising the number of felony counts from four to thirteen. Seth Finkelstein at Infothought has a brief rundown of the new charges (h/t to Nate Hoffelder for the link):

There are now 13 felony counts in the new indictment, derived from claims of multiple instances of breaking those four laws. In specific:
Wire Fraud - 2 counts
Computer Fraud - 5 counts
Unlawfully Obtaining Information from a Protected Computer - 5 counts
Recklessly Damaging a Protected Computer - 1 count


It's beyond my pay grade to figure out how many years in prison that all could be, when taking into account the complexities of sentencing law. Let's leave it at a large scary number. Enough to ruin someone's life.
The new filing basically realleges all the original charges but ups the felony count by providing specific dates for each action, turning each marked date into its own felony charge. The allegations refer to Swartz's "repeated" actions as spanning several months, but the feds have pulled some arbitrary dates into the mix to add years and dollars onto his possible sentence. And, again, we have to ask: for what?

JSTOR only showed up because it was subpoenaed and if anyone's the "victim" here, it would be JSTOR. MIT has remained silent on the whole issue. So, either someone's got a deeper interest in this case than they're willing to admit publicly, or the feds found someone with enough "hacking" activity under their belt that they feel comfortable turning the defendant into an "example." Or perhaps this is a belated payback for his thorough gaming of the PACER system during a "free trial" period, something the feds briefly investigated him for back in 2009. It went nowhere as the documents involved were public records, but it had to gall them a bit that he managed to download nearly 20 million pages of text, about 20% of the entire database, before being stopped. (The government likes to collect 8 cents a page for PACER documents, meaning Swartz's stunt "cost" it nearly $1.6 million, assuming you have no idea how to properly measure "costs.")

So, how do the new charges stack up in terms of a sentence? Tough to say. Each of the charges carries the possibility of a fine and imprisonment of up to 10-20 years per felony. Depending on how many of the counts Swartz is found guilty of, the sentence could conceivably total 50+ years and fine in the area of $4 million. All this over publicly accessed research documents that JSTOR doesn't even feel the need to pursue further than it did.
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Filed Under: aaron swartz, cfaa, charges, downloading, files, mit, research
Companies: jstor


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  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 6:47am

    It's a political persecution, harassment or whatever you wanna call it for his activities at Demand Progress. It's like Assange, it's not about rape or light rape or whatever absurd accusation they come up with it's about silencing, punishing and stifling free speech. China is pretty experienced on that, the US should go seek counseling with them.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Unanimous Cow Herd (profile), 12 Jan 2013 @ 1:15pm

      Re:

      And now he is gone. Bullied to death by a fascist AG and an institution of higher learning (lost all respect for MIT). Funny how Rupert Murdoch hasn't spent a day behind bars for his technology breaches which were of PRIVATE information rather than public information like the stuff in JSTOR which is comprised of content originally meant for public and institutional libraries. Much of the research documented in the journals at JSTOR was publicly funded as well. Guess that access to JUSTICE and INFORMATION truly are only for the wealthy and well connected.

      We have lost a great mind today. I am very sad.
      R.I.P. Aaron Swartz

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Jesse (profile), 14 Jan 2013 @ 9:21am

      Re:

      Rape lite?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 7:32am

    So the government is putting someone on trial for basically looking at too many journal articles at once?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Jason, 18 Sep 2012 @ 1:37pm

      Re:

      No, the govt is putting him on trial for fraud and breaking into a restricted server room for unauthorized access to a network to continue to fake more and more network credentials in order to keep downloading too many articles after he'd already been caught breaking the rules.

      I'm not a maximalist by any stretch, and I see a LOT of problems with the government's case. But there are some relatively serious criminal allegations that surround what started as a harmless act. If the allegations are true, this guy pushed the mischief WAY too far.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        teka (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 5:17pm

        Re: Re:

        Right, that is why this case is MIT & JSTOR Vs: Aaron Swartz..

        Wait, neither of those groups, the ones who were theoretically trespassed upon or abused are interested in this case. JSTOR dealt with him to their satisfaction back when this all actually happened.


        This entire case, and the new eager stacking of charges, is a way to punish someone that the prosecutors don't like. They have managed to bend laws until "daring to be annoying to the government-WITH A COMPUTER" is at a higher level then rape.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    John Doe, 18 Sep 2012 @ 7:36am

    Punishment fits the crime?

    I would bet that if you robbed a liquor store at gun point, shot the clerk, fired at officers during a high speed chase and crashed into a school bus during the chase you would be charged with less felonies and do less time in jail. Whatever happened to the punishment fitting the crime?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Pjerky (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 7:49am

      Re: Punishment fits the crime?

      These days the punishment almost never fit the crimes. Especially when it comes to technology, copyright, and patent related dealings. And even more especially when it is an individual, instead of an organization.

      This is what happens when the old ignorant guard is faced with a new world they don't understand and can't adapt to. They make mountains out of tiny little lumps in the ground (not even molehills). I think the idiots behind this prosecution deserve to be locked up, not this guy.

      This guy literally did everything he was entitled to with his access to the system. He didn't commit any crime. And how the heck is he getting charged with damaging a computer? How is downloading information you have full access to damaging? He didn't even distribute it. Morons! These charges are what is criminal.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        PRMan, 18 Sep 2012 @ 11:56am

        Re: Re: Punishment fits the crime?

        Not that I support the severity and number of the government's charges here, but he broke into a server closet at MIT and installed a laptop after being told that he was banned from the network.

        Plain and simple, that is unauthorized access. Not the "I didn't want to you mistakenly access that file but you are allowed to get to everything else" type, but the "you are not allowed at all" type.

        Unlike the PACER incident where he did something they didn't like but followed all the rules in doing so, here he acted like a criminal in his (albeit noble) quest of freeing access to public domain material.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      RonKaminsky (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 7:52am

      Re: Punishment fits the crime?

      When a crime isn't prevented by (most) people's inherent sense of morality, the government often tries draconian punishment to see if it might do the trick, instead.

      I don't remember a case where this has worked (in the long run).

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 7:55am

        Re: Re: Punishment fits the crime?

        It's hard to make the punishment fit the crime when there is no crime. This is a witch hunt.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Dave Xanatos, 18 Sep 2012 @ 11:35am

        Re: Re: Punishment fits the crime?

        No light bulb for parent? C-c-c-c-combo breaker!

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:35am

      Re: Punishment fits the crime?

      "Whatever happened to the punishment fitting the crime?"

      It went away.

      I actually met a guy in a bar sometime last year. We got to talking because he noticed I had quite a few visible tattoos and he asked if I'd been in prison. (I haven't, although I've spent a night in county for what was essentially trumped up charges that were summarily dismissed.) I asked the question back and he told me had just been released the day before. I asked what he was in prison for.

      He savagely and brutally murdered a man in cold blood. He was sentenced to 7 years and actually served 4. He was ordered to pay restitution to his victim's family in the amount of $120,000. Upon his release, the court actually lowered that amount to $14,000. He had the court papers on his person showing his sentence and the restitution amount, then the actual time served and actual restitution needing to be paid (after it was lowered). Which he let me read.

      I literally started laughing at that point. Which he didn't find offensive in the least. He even knew what I was laughing about. The fact that he killed a man in cold blood and served 4 years. Yet you can be caught with what some would consider a "large" amount of drugs (but what is probably just enough for a person or two with large habits) and be sentenced for a decade or two (and actually serve the entire time). Ditto computer "hacking".

      We both remarked on the fact that the justice system has it's priorities all wrong. At which point I bought him two rounds. (He was after all a nice guy.)

      In other news, I ran into him a few months back. He now has a great job managing a bustling and growing local haircut business which cater's to men only (yay! no chicks taking awhile to cut their hair!) and is making substantially decent money (more so than I do at my IT job). This time, drinks were on him.

      But yay! Let's hope they make an example this "hacker" for the horrible crimes he committed. /s

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Nathan F (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:38am

        Re: Re: Punishment fits the crime?

        War on Drugs! WAR on Drugs! ZOMG! WAR ON DRUGS put em all away so that private companies can run all the prisons.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:40am

        Re: Re: Punishment fits the crime?

        you met a guy in a bar who killed a person, and you thought it was funny !!!!

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Nathan F (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 9:17am

          Re: Re: Re: Punishment fits the crime?

          He thought it was funny that a murderer got 7 years, served 4, and payed half the fine he was originally given while someone up for possession charges (non violent even) gets a decade..

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          lucidrenegade (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 9:18am

          Re: Re: Re: Punishment fits the crime?

          Reading comprehension fail.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          The eejit (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 10:14am

          Re: Re: Re: Punishment fits the crime?

          It's funny becaus eof the massively disproportionate sentencing between real crime (for there is no doubt that murder is a crime) and perceived crime (copyright infringement, drugs). Remember, that sentence mentioned is shorter than the one that could be received by Richard o'Dwyer or Kim Dotcom (should they ever be tried in a criminal court).

          That is the part that is funny.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 10:29am

          Re: Re: Re: Punishment fits the crime?

          I guess reading comprehension isn't your strong suit. I said I met a guy in a bar who killed someone and got out in 4 years and had his restitution to the man's family lowered to a ridiculously low amount.

          What I found funny was the fact that he murdered someone and essentially got a slap on the wrist.

          Yet this guy above is having the book thrown at him. Yet people like Jamie Thomas are having their lives financially ruined for downloading a CDs worth of songs. Etc etc etc.

          If you don't find our justice system's sense of justice and sentences for various crimes to be remotely hilarious then you're a robot. Or an idiot. Take your pick. But, do try and read everything that is stated and understand what is being said before you go off half cocked about someone's comments.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Carrie, 16 Jan 2013 @ 3:49pm

            Re: Re: Re: Re: Punishment fits the crime?

            It is not funny, or hilarious! It is absolutely absurd, ridiculous, and unjust!

            link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Keroberos (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 10:15am

      Re: Punishment fits the crime?

      Yes, they save the these terrible punishments for the truly heinous people who piss them off for some reason.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 10:39am

        Re: Re: Punishment fits the crime?

        More like they save the terrible punishments for those people who affect the bottom line for their largest campaign contributors.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 7:57am

    Sureal and distressing

    They don't like "Demand Progress" progress too much, do they? This has all symptoms of a witchhunt. It's scary how that any criminal sanction can even be considered at all for what he's alleged to have done.

    Abusing servers resources to download beyond T.O.S. thresholds would land you to lifetime jail ? Is that really it ?

    WTF is happening in the U.S. ?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      btr1701 (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 10:42am

      Re: Sureal and distressing

      > Abusing servers resources to download
      > beyond T.O.S. thresholds would land you
      > to lifetime jail?

      Assuming there ever were TOS thresholds.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 11:08pm

      Re: Sureal and distressing

      WTF is happening in the U.S. ?

      It's becoming a Police State administered by business interests.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:01am

    i wonder if ...

    ... if he had simply bought a sky mask and just beat the info out of someone he'd do less time than this :p

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Pixelation, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:04am

    It would be interesting to find out the name of the person in charge of this prosecution and the name of their direct boss.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:35am

      Re:

      "Mr. Swartz was indicted last Thursday by the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Carmen M. Ortiz, and the indictment was unsealed Tuesday. The charges could result in up to 35 years in prison and a $1 million fine."
      from this Blog seems to be the answer.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:40am

        Re: Re:

        Following link to her profile there's this suprising bit:
        "U.S. Attorney Ortiz’s top priorities include terrorism and national security, civil rights, and violent and white collar crime reduction - encompassing public corruption, financial and healthcare fraud. In 2010, she implemented the District’s first civil rights initiative, aimed at reinvigorating enforcement efforts of federal civil rights laws and increasing visibility among affected communities through extensive community outreach efforts."

        How can someone with a top priority "civil rights" be engaged in such nonsense leaves me clueless.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Nathan F (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:19am

    Maybe they are trying to pile up all the charges so that he will agree to a plea bargain (and get a slap on the wrist), which will likely include doing no more work for Demand Progress.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:19am

    Knowledge Should Not be Free

    ...go watch TV

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:37am

    its odd that you dont understand your own justice system, the prosecution has to make all possible charges, otherwise, once it gets to court, the defense will ask "why have you charged him on these files and not these files?"

    it is also commom practice to arrest and indite on an initial smaller number of charges, and as you build your case, and more information come to light, again those have to be (attempted) to be prosecuted otherwise it leaves the defense a case for defending the charges, "you failed to charge him on this count, then why expect a conviction on this count?" ...

    not everyone is a linel huts.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:45am

      Re:

      This affair illustrates how far how into the slippery slope this logic has lead that system. Problem is there are lifes ruined by those practices gone out of hand.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:58am

      Re:

      You have no idea what you're talking about.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      The Groove Tiger (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 9:11am

      Re:

      Wow, you're dumb.

      They were charging him for all the files. They just decided now that different download dates mean different charges (instead of one charge for all the files). Next week they'll double the charges, insisting that hacking in the morning is a separate crime than hacking in the afternoon.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 19 Sep 2012 @ 2:00am

        Re: Re:

        That's already assuming there was a crime at all.

        The more charges they pile up, the least credible the charges become.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      btr1701 (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 10:45am

      Re:

      > its odd that you dont understand your own
      > justice system, the prosecution has to make
      > all possible charges, otherwise, once it gets
      > to court, the defense will ask "why have you
      > charged him on these files and not these files?"

      Speaking as both an attorney and law enforcement officer who has worked in the criminal justice system most of my adult life, what you wrote above is nonsense.

      > not everyone is a linel huts

      But most people can at least spell Lionel Hutz correctly.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tom Anderson, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:41am

    When the government is found to be in the wrong, why don't they have to pay legal fees of the defendant? These spooks are not beating about the bush; they are pursuing him with a vendetta. For example, this quote: "Swartz simply hard-wired into the network and assigned himself two IP addresses." Hard wired implies configuring in such a way that it cannot be changed. He hardly used a soldering iron, he simply connected in the usual soft-wired (i.e. easily demountable) fashion. Nobody calls connecting an Ethernet cable to a computer "hard-wired" unless they are insinuating something.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      HKlang, 18 Sep 2012 @ 10:38am

      Re:

      Aren't you supposed to assign yourself two IP addresses? My MAC often says "Your computer has a self-assigned IP address and may not be able to connect to the internet". And then it never can. But I am concerned about the "may" -- if it ever did, would it be a crime? Now wait a minute. It's all WiFi. I'm off the hook!

      Or is the number of addresses? Two. Because it seems that the underlying message of the prosecution is "quantity begets quality"! One completely legal download okay, but 5000 is not. The internet is full of these paradoxes.

      It reminds me of when my father and I were in top-floor Helsinki restaurant back in '78 and we were served a plate of cheeses for dessert. A large plate with large cheeses. You weren't supposed to eat them, but eat of them. But I tried to. Because I was 17 and hungry. And I still am.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      HKlang, 18 Sep 2012 @ 10:50am

      Re:

      Aren't you supposed to assign yourself two IP addresses? My MAC often says "Your computer has a self-assigned IP address and may not be able to connect to the internet". And then it never can. But I am concerned about the "may" -- if it ever did, would it be a crime? Now wait a minute. It's all WiFi. I'm off the hook!

      Or is the number of addresses? Two. Because it seems that the underlying message of the prosecution is "quantity begets quality"! One completely legal download okay, but 5000 is not. The internet is full of these paradoxes.

      It reminds me of when my father and I were in top-floor Helsinki restaurant back in '78 and we were served a plate of cheeses for dessert. A large plate with large cheeses. You weren't supposed to eat them, but eat of them. But I tried to. Because I was 17 and hungry. And I still am.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Richard Tanner, 13 Jan 2013 @ 5:39pm

      Re:

      Let's charge the government now with Capital Murder. The government gets away with everything and it's people like Aaron who end up standing up to them, and then guess what, they are dead. Suicide? Easy to make something seem that way; let's all point the finger at the government now and let them stand trial.

      Oh wait, let's add about 5,000 counts of embezzlement to the list of counts to charge them with as well. (That's just a very small number)

      Nope, they'll stand Trial, and go about ripping off citizens the very next day. Good ol' system we have isn't it.

      FOG

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:43am

    Isn't this the guy caught on camera trying to conceal his face with his bike helmet as he accessed the system? Too bad that's out there as he won't be able to claim that he didn't think he was doing anything wrong.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 8:54am

      Re:

      So he deserves a judicial wrong with a near lifetime jail time because he did something wrong with a helmet on his face? He's only accused of abusing server-power over what T.O.S. permits.

      Pushing it a bit, breaking any web site Terms of Services can be land you criminal charges. I wonder how many new crimes and criminals this will create out of nowhere.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 9:48am

        Re: Re:

        I didn't say he deserves prison. I simply said he knew what he was doing was wrong and did it anyway. I doubt that the sentencing guidelines are more the six months and would be surprised if he got any jail time at all.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          btr1701 (profile), 18 Sep 2012 @ 10:51am

          Re: Re: Re:

          > I doubt that the sentencing guidelines are
          > more the six months and would be surprised
          > if he got any jail time at all.

          That's a pretty stupid comment to make. If the guidelines for these charges only amounted to six months, then they wouldn't be felonies in the first place, since the definition of a felony is any offense for which the punishment is a year or more in prison.

          Six months = misdemeanor, genius.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
            identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 11:16am

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            > I doubt that the sentencing guidelines are
            > more the six months and would be surprised
            > if he got any jail time at all.

            That's a pretty stupid comment to make. If the guidelines for these charges only amounted to six months, then they wouldn't be felonies in the first place, since the definition of a felony is any offense for which the punishment is a year or more in prison.

            Six months = misdemeanor, genius.


            You are so stupid it's laughable. Do you work here full-time?

            Do you not understand there's a difference between statutory minimum and maximum sentences, the sentencing guidelines and the actual sentence?

            Your monkey ass is showing.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Joe1, 13 Jan 2013 @ 5:50pm

        Re: Re:

        Show me the man, and I'll tell you the crimes...

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 9:46am

    only being done because it can. this is the sort of thing that happens when a government goes out of control and is staffed by people that are equally out of control as well! someone it would seem has a personal vendetta to wage against this guy and is using their high up position to carry it out. reminds me very much of the entertainment industries actually!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 18 Sep 2012 @ 6:02pm

      Re:

      The information controllers are out of control. Gasping for air and grasping at straws. There will be casualties and, unfortunately, Mr. Swartz is being lined up to be one.

      Drugs, Knowledge and Entertainment: The Information Underground.

      The pursuit of justice is being thwarted by criminal elements bent on control and the freedom to pursue it.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    t, 18 Sep 2012 @ 7:10pm

    You've got to laugh at the people experiencing convulsions trying to rationalize this. Apparently, downloading academic journals, intending to release them to the public, is the greatest of crimes now. He changed.. his.. MAC address! He accessed a network... and downloaded a lot of files... and accidentally took down a few servers that couldn't handle capacity.. without permission! That was pushing the "mischief" way, way, way too far. People got hurt, folks; prestigious institutions were offended. Better incarcerate this heathen a few decades! After all, how are people supposed to unquestionably respect academia and the publishing industry if we don't punish naysayers to the full extent of sacred law? What if.. *gasp* information, research, content were publicly available, shared, distributed freely? Just imagine.. how much money would be lost!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    rloxley, 12 Jan 2013 @ 4:30pm

    FREE WEEV

    FREE WEEV

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Len, 12 Jan 2013 @ 7:48pm

    Big government

    Too bad that most of you keep voting for bigger and more powerful government. How is this surprising to anyone?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2013 @ 12:05am

    Overzealous prosecution: Steve Heymann

    From various comments attributed to the family of Aaron Swartz, it appears the overzealous prosecution of Swartz was largely the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Heymann, a specialist cybercrime prosecutor.

    One assumes Heymann has a lucrative private sector career in his future. Carmen Ortiz is apparently Heymann's boss.

    Ortiz: "Stealing is stealing, whether you use a computer command or a crowbar, and whether you take documents, data or dollars."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Just Call Me M, 13 Jan 2013 @ 7:04am

    When will the US government pay for their crime....from Obama down.

    That is so sad.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mark, 13 Jan 2013 @ 8:00am

    If he had actually stolen 20 million physical journal papers he'd be charged with less and get less time inside.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2013 @ 11:32pm

    Mike's silence on the topic is kind of annoying. Has he nothing constructive to add?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    That guy..., 15 Jan 2013 @ 7:48pm

    The guy committed crimes. He killed himself. He was going to make free and public the intellectual property of others as administered and hosted by Jstor. Why should any one feel bad for this guy. There's no way he would have gotten fifty years. No way. He was a coward for stealing. He was a coward for being a baby about his indictment. He was a coward for killing himself.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    davidbarcomb, 14 Nov 2014 @ 1:28am

    Thanks for keeping us informed

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 May 2020 @ 7:16am

    I hope US government would put more effort into education after quarantine. Here is https://besteducationprograms.org a good site for a start!

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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