Updates on Gary McKinnon...

Well, looks like Gary McKinnon was in the news for yesterday. Using a Google alert, he seems to be safe for now. So let's see what we have received, and we'll go through it together.

Gary McKinnon won his right to appeal against extradition. This is a very good article with lots of surprising quotes. The US Government has claimed that Gary has damaged up to 800,000 dollars worth of damage to computers in an attempt to find evidence of UFO's. His mother had this to say:

She said: "We are overjoyed that the British courts have shown sense and compassion by allowing our son Gary, a young man with Asperger's syndrome, this judicial review.

"We have always been outraged by the Home Office's decision to have him extradited to stand trial in a foreign land where he would face an out-of-proportion sentence for what is essentially a crime of eccentricity."

I have wondered myself what will happen to him. I can't form a opinion on what really should happen. It is a major crime, but does he really understand what he was doing? Then he was using his own e-mail address at the time. I understand the minds of autistic children, and it is a nightmare for them inside their minds. So maybe I have a little understanding on why he is wanting to have a light sentence and be able to stay in his home country. This paragraph was taken from the article entitled,"Hacker Wins Court Review Decision."

'End this fiasco'

The home secretary has agreed to postpone Mr McKinnon's extradition until the DPP gives his response to the case in four weeks.

However Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne called on the home secretary to "end this fiasco" and try Mr McKinnon in the UK.

He said: "Gary McKinnon's condition should mean he is treated more leniently than otherwise. Being detained at a high-security prison, even while only on remand, is hardly necessary for a hacker who had no malicious intent or previous conviction."

If the DPP is persuaded to try Mr McKinnon in the UK, the hacker would face a three to four year sentence, rather than a potential 70 years in US courts.

Mr McKinnon's full application for judicial review is likely to be heard after 16 March, by which time the DPP is expected to have made his decision.

WOW and have a great day.