[Sorry about the crummy copy/paste]. Here's the link to the forfeiture article: http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/01/ortiz_motel_owner_we’re_not_done_yet
On Sat, Feb 2, 2013 at 3:02 PM, Jeffrey Walton <[email protected]> wrote: > It appears the prosecutor has a history of abusing her powers. > http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5126017. > > "Three Felonies A Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent," > http://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594035229, > http://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594035229 > > The prosecutor has a history of abusing her power. See, for example, > http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5126017. > > On Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 10:00 AM, Jeffrey Walton <[email protected]> wrote: >> http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Aaron-s-Law-hopes-to-blunt-US-computer-crime-law-1786033.html >> >> US Representative Zoe Lofgren has proposed an amendment to the >> Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Lofgren also presented her amendment on >> Reddit. The amendment is called "Aaron's Law" by Lofgren and is being >> put forward as a response to the death of Aaron Swartz, the internet >> activist who killed himself while facing thirteen felony counts of >> computer and wire fraud after he attempted to liberate millions of >> academic papers from the JSTOR archive. >> >> Currently, the CFAA allows prosecutors to define unauthorised access >> to computer systems such that even a simple violation of an ISP's or a >> web site's terms of service could be used to bring felony charges. >> Lofgren's proposal amends the law such that unauthorised access is not >> a felony if that access was solely contrary to terms of service or >> other contractual arrangements between a user and a service. A simple >> modification like this could well have reduced the number of felony >> charges that Swartz faced. >> >> Wire and computer fraud charges are often added in hacking cases where >> ISPs' terms of service appear to have been broken, yet the charge can >> carry a three to five year prison sentence. Lofgren says using the law >> in this way "could criminalize many everyday activities and allow for >> outlandishly severe penalties" and she is now seeking cosponsors for >> the bill, which she hopes will be enacted quickly and act as a tribute >> to Swartz's life. >> >> Other US law makers have also stepped up to condemn the prosecution; >> Representative Jared Polis reportedly said "the charges were >> ridiculous and trumped-up," while Representative Darrell Issa said his >> oversight panel would look into whether federal prosecutors had acted >> inappropriately. Lofgren, Polis and Issa are all members of the House >> Judiciary Committee. Issa also said that Congress should take up >> Swartz's aims and make more information freely available and make sure >> "that what is paid for is as widely available as possible to the >> American people". _______________________________________________ Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.
