SPYCAM UPDATE: Key figure in 'Webcamgate' invokes Fifth

[PCIntern]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20100410_Key_figure_in__Webcamgate__invokes_Fifth.html


Key figure in 'Webcamgate' invokes Fifth

By WILLIAM BENDER
Philadelphia Daily News

Lower Merion School District's information-systems coordinator invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination yesterday at a deposition for the federal invasion-of-privacy lawsuit that sparked the "Webcamgate" scandal earlier this year.

Carol Cafiero, who had previously sought to quash a subpoena ordering her to testify, refused to answer questions pertaining to the district's controversial practice of remotely activating webcams on Apple MacBooks issued to high-school students.

"To each and every question I would ask her, other than her name, she asserted the Fifth, even after I told her that everybody else had come in and fully cooperated and provided complete testimony as to what took place," said attorney Mark Haltzman, who represents Blake Robbins, the Harriton High School sophomore who is suing the district.

Cafiero was one of two school district officials authorized to remotely activate the cameras. District officials have said the "security feature" was used only to track stolen or missing laptops, but the FBI and Montgomery County District Attorney's Office are investigating whether a crime might have occurred.

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Nothing wrong with taking the Fifth of course...she's within her rights. and I'm within my rights to say IMO that these people were up to no effing good.

[annabanana]

1. Remarkable. Either she KNOWS she was doing something illegal,

or she watched too much Perry Mason as a child.

[Lerkfish]

2. OR she knows that the system was used for unsavory purposes.

which is my first guess.

and by unsavory I mean that in the peeping tom variety of unsavory.

maybe not herself, but someone she works with has abused this system, IMHO.

[PCIntern]

4. Ed Zachary. n/t

[Echo In Light]

6. +1

[eShirl]

3. k&r

[HereSince1628]

5. Yes, within her rights, but then everyone's suspicions are as well.

She could be doing this for any number of reasons, but if she wanted to remove the cloud of suspicion she would not have taken the 5th.

[hobbit709]

7. Isn't that interesting.

[DCKit]

8. Why do these moralists always turn out to be depraved perverts?

Filthy, filthy minds.

[localroger]

9. I suspect this might be a deliberate strategy on her part

Consider: Right now there is only a lawsuit. I don't believe there are any criminal charges because nobody has enough evidence to charge anybody. Nobody knows who, if anybody, was working the cameras; and remember, even if only two people were "authorized" all it takes is a password which could have been given to anybody or even passed around far and wide. And now here we have one of the key witnesses to the lawsuit taking the 5th at deposition.

So what happens next? Well, any district attorney worth his BMW would scratch his chin and say "there might really be a crime here." And he'd form a grand jury. You don't need much evidence to do that, since the purpose of the grand jury is only to determine whether enough suspicion is afoot to justify a trial. So this grand jury could then subpoena Ms. Cafiero. And you know what happens when you testify before a grand jury? Since what you say can't be used against you later in court, you can be denied legal counsel AND the fifth. So Ms. Cafiero, who has essentially just told the whole world "I know who the pedophile is" will have to tell us who the pedophile is under oath and under threat of a contempt citation if she refuses. I predict she will do this with alacrity, and then tell the pedophile she is oh so sorry that she was forced, absolutely forced, to come clean.

And if there is a Mr. Cafiero I really wouldn't want to be him about now.

[PCIntern]

10. Interesting...

and there's some subterranean stuff going on which I am not privy to which I'm told is going to be interesting...but that's real hearsay...but then again, I'm not in a court of law, so anything's admissible AFAIC.

[MicaelS]

11. I figured this would happen....

Once I read Cafiero was fighting the subpoena so hard. Well, let's see what happens next. PCIntern are they going to subpoena and depose Michael Perbix?

[PCIntern]

12. I have no idea what's going on in that regard...

I have no new inside info at this time...I can only post now what comes over our local news and over the wire...will let you know when I hear a rumor which seems to have some basis in fact.

...and why not? They put a Spycam in my house, I am entitled to my opinions of what may have happened and who may be involved and who may have 'gotten off' if you know what I mean.

[MicaelS]

13. Ok, thanks, make sure and keep us updated...

I check every week or so on the case, but justice seems to be moving at a glacial speed.