McKinnon's extradition is put on hold again

Apparently it wasn't enough to cost the americans 3/4 of a million, he's now going to cost the uk the same in legal fees.

McKinnon is wanted by the US for 1 simple reason, after spending $315 million they had supposedly had fixed their security. McKinnon told them( US goverment) what and how he did what he did. People started to ask what the $315 million was spent on because nothing had been secured. He just pissed off the wrong crooks.

I'll agree with Blip. The reason the US wants this tried in the US is for damage control. They want Mr. McKinnon painted as a dangerous hacker who caused millions in damage to hide their own inept security and wasted tax dollars. In a Country like the US, with a State (Texas) that executes the mentally retarded, it's no surprise that they are willing to prosecute a person with mental illness, even if the crime was piddling and the impact minimal. We should be putting this much effort into catching and prosecuting Russian phishing criminals.

This should have been over a long time ago. It's not because he's a Brit and can fight extradition. If he had been a US citizen, he would have been arrested, tried, and probably already out on the streets again breaking into other computers.

He broke the law, needs to have his day in court. Stop being as baby, come to the US and get this over with.

After all his admitted hacking Gary never found any green men in dem dare puters. Maybe in prison he'll find religion to save his soul?

McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome, could face decades in the UK court rooms going over and re-going over whether or not he can be sent to the US.

Pssss't:

Hi- Ultee' TOM Here. Straight From Morning Meeting with COFFEE. wonder What Directives to 13 Selected States From Hon President Esq. Are & Look Like? Heres TOP SECRET Link:
Don't Tell 'Em Ultee' Sent you.

HERE:

http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/192

Gary got ALL Clearances & Ultee' thought it's phising website. Had Gary Been properly List'd as McKenyon instead of Worm Eater, Certainly Garys Rights Are Stonger Than U.F.O. diagram.

drashek

I agree with those who are saying they want him in the US for damage control but there are other reasons too. For one the US is technically where the crime was committed and it's the common practice of law that the offending party is tried in the jurisdiction in which the crime was committed. Also to those saying it's not fair to extradite him things would be no different then if someone in the US hacked the MOD cause you damn well know the british government wouldn't stop without getting their hands on them.

@Necro
Mental illness, if justified, is a legitimate legal defense but in Gary's cause he's not using it as a defense, he's using it as a way to get out of facing charges. When someone is actually found to be mentally unfit to face charges in the US, with the expection of texas at times, they are institutionalized until such time that they are made fit to stand trial, the judges decide to let them out or the statute of limitations on the charges is reached. Keeping that in mind if McKinnon is so mentally enfeebled, which most asperger's syndrome sufferers aren't, then the best place for him is a medical facility.

For that matter I'm fairly certain that he admitted to knowing what he was doing was illegal meaning he meets the first diagonistic criteria for being mentally fit to stand trial. Also it's highly suspect that he made it to the age of 42 without being diagnosed with asperger's. That said if the diagnosis is valid obviously he was functional enough to pass for normal for statistically over half his life so he's probably more then mentally fit to stand trial. I know for a fact he's publicly admitted to hacking the systems on multiple occations so really I think the only reason he doesn't want to be extradited is short of a mental illness defense he's screwed.

@hector
You might be right, you might not be. The US court system has had a funny history when it comes to hackers. Proof of point Kevin Mitnick who was held for 4 1/2 years without trial or as I remember even having charges filed. Now that said there was a plea bargain offered to McKinnon which stipulated he would only spend a little over 3 to as much as a little under 4 years in prison if he co-operated and went to the US willingly, he refused it. Strangely enough he refused it a couple months before being diagnosed so obviously everyone felt at the time he was mental fit and it was only after he was facing a hard 56-70 years that he suddenly became mentally ill from a legal point of view. I'm sure I'm not the only one that finds that more then a little suspect.

Due to all the charades that McKinnon has pulled after admitting he hacked U.S. computers, I hope he is extradited and gets at least 50 years in prison. Had he cooperated I would have supported a lesser sentence but not after years of B.S. games. Now give him the full sentence like any other sleazeball criminal.