back to article Palin webmail 'hack' trial delayed

The trial of the student accused of breaking into the email account of Sarah Palin in the run-up to the US presidential election has been pushed back to next May. David Kernell, 20, was originally due to face trial on December 16, but the case is now scheduled for 19 May. Kernell, the son of Tennessee Democrat legislator Mike …

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  1. Paul Bruneau

    Prohibited computer use except email...

    So they prohibit his use of a computer, except they allow the thing he got in trouble for?

    I don't really get it.

  2. Ed
    Happy

    Use of email

    "The University of Tennessee student remains free on bail with restriction that prohibit his use of a computer except for the purposes of internet email and college coursework."

    His own email, or other people's as well......? :)

  3. Richard_C
    Alert

    I fought the law

    "...restriction that prohibit his use of a computer except for the purposes of internet email..."

    Correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't that how this whole thing got started in the first place?

    I wonder if Madam Not-to-be-vice-president ever got round to changing her password...

  4. Chris
    Paris Hilton

    Trivia

    It's a sad comment on our insatiable need for celebrity trivia that Palin's secret question could be googled.

    Paris, because I couldn't care less what her first pet's name was.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Wrong tense!

    >"Since the full URL was included with these screenshots it might be possible to obtain the IP address of the computer that accessed the account from Ctunnel's logs."

    Not "might be". "Was", since it's a matter of historical record now.

  6. Chris C

    @Trivia

    "It's a sad comment on our insatiable need for celebrity trivia that Palin's secret question could be googled."

    Only if said question is esoteric. Most "security" questions are matters of public record (not just public knowledge, but actual public record), such as mother's maiden name, spouse's birthday, city you were born in, etc. These sites don't quite grasp the concept that anything which is a matter of public record cannot possibly be considered secure.

    But I do get your point, and I agree. Many celebrities have been quoted as saying they are just regular people, and they wish the media would allow them their private lives. I agree. Treat them like normal people. Don't treat them like gutter-slime just because you're jealous of them, but don't idolize them, either. And that goes for Royalty, too.

  7. Mark
    Pirate

    @Chris C

    "Don't treat them like gutter-slime just because you're jealous of them, but don't idolize them, either."

    Problem is, they don't WANT you to stop idolizing them either. They want you to hang on to their every word until they don't want you to. They want you to pay attention to them until they want privacy. They want you to treat them special until they don't want it.

    In short, like a woman.

    (not sure which icon I should use: PH or Flame. Ach, I'll use the one with swords at my throat. That'll do)

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    all well and good

    However I see the issue of palin using her yahoo account for government business has (as I predicted) been quietly swept under the rug and forgotten about. Dontcya just love the "do as I say not as I do" nature of politics.

    skull and bones for obvious reasons.

  9. wsm

    Hax0r?

    Did his attorney really argue that his client was too dumb to be a hacker? Since when did the law require a certain amount of expertise before a crime has been committed?

  10. tony trolle
    Paris Hilton

    WHO really uses correct answers

    to secret questions ?

    Those dumb enough to want to (co)run a country !

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    Just one thing to say

    LOL - what a freaking MUPPET, sure post the pic of the hack online but Blank out the URL totally or don't show the address bar - quick and simple to do in Photoshop / Paint Shop Pro, sure it loses you some "kudos" points but well erm keeps you "safe from the man".

  12. Mark

    re: Hax0r?

    "Did his attorney really argue that his client was too dumb to be a hacker? Since when did the law require a certain amount of expertise before a crime has been committed?"

    If you can't actually do the crime, how can you be guilty of it? If you're dumb, how can you be "a criminal mastermind"?

    Ability

    Opportunity

    Motive

    Are needed to be convicted.

    If he's dumb (wrt hacking/cracking systems open) he doesn't have the ability to BE a hacker/cracker of a system to open it.

    Now if they want to do him for computer intrusion but NOT under the current media meaning of hacker doing so, they can and then "he's too dumb to be a hacker" isn't a defense because you aren't claiming him to be a hacker.

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