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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDetails Come Out On US Attorneys Withholding Evidence In Aaron Swartz Case
Last week, we wrote about Aaron Swartz's girlfriend, Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, releasing a statement accusing the DOJ of a variety of things that hadn't really been covered before, including lying, seizing evidence without a warrant and withholding exculpatory evidence. That resulted in an interesting discussion in the comments, in which a few DOJ defenders suggested that since there were no details, we were probably making this up (as if we don't have better things to do). Now, however, the details have come out. In a letter that was sent at the end of January (but just now leaked to the press), Swartz's lawyers highlight how Assistant US Attorney Steve Heymann was responsible for the charges above.
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However, right after that hearing, Heymann apparently approached Swartz's lawyers to reveal a key email from the lead Secret Service agent on the case, Michael Pickett, to Heymann himself. The email had been sent on January 7, 2011 in which he noted that he was "prepared to take custody of the laptop anytime, or whenever you feel is appropriate." In other words, the Secret Service clearly had de facto control over the laptop, directly contrasting Heymann's claims. Furthermore, withholding that bit of evidence, which would have raised serious questions about Heymann's claims to the court, until after the hearing just makes the whole thing even more sketchy.
Given that, Swartz's legal team questioned if there were more relevant items that had not been turned over when required. A further search by the US Attorney's office apparently found quite a bit.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130313/18221122316/details-come-out-us-attorneys-withholding-evidence-aaron-swartz-case.shtml?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
dkf
(37,305 posts)This is not good.
The Straight Story
(48,121 posts)dkf
(37,305 posts)He is wading into right wing conspiracy craziness.
Schwartz is almost looking like a martyr, committing suicide to expose all this for the greater good. What a sad story.