Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

UK High Court rules alleged hacker may be extradited to US

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The UK High Court ruled Friday that a man accused of hacking US government computers in 2001 and 2002 may be extradited to the US for prosecution. This is the latest in a series of failed appeals by systems analyst Gary McKinnon, who was arrested by British police in 2002 and indicted by US authorities later that year on charges of hacking NASA, Department of Defense, Air Force, Army, and Navy computers in violation of US computer laws. The British government granted the 2005 US extradition request, but McKinnon's lawyer appealed, alleging that US authorities had told McKinnon that if he did not plead guilty to the charges, he could be sentenced to life in prison since each of the seven counts against him is punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome, lost an appeal to the UK Law Lords last July. He filed a new appeal, asking the Secretary of State to consider new evidence as to his mental condition. The Secretary of State denied his appeal, and the court declined to overturn that decision. In 2006, a UK court recommended that the government extradite McKinnon to the US. His lawyers appealed, but, in 2007, High Court judges ruled that there were no grounds for appeal. McKinnon has not denied the charges against him but has said that he was motivated by a desire to uncover "hidden technology" capable of benefiting all of mankind and evidence of UFOs, which he claims is being suppressed by the US military.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on July 31, 2009 (boomark / email).