********* Background: http://www.politechbot.com/cgi-bin/politech.cgi?name=henson ********* From: xenuat_private Date: 14 May 2001 12:26:22 -0000 To: declanat_private Subject: Keith Henson case sentencing Wednesday May 16 Keith Henson is being sentenced on his 422.6 conviction on Wednesday. He has spoken with a probation officer with some knowledge of the case, who has told him the political pressure placed on the judge will result in the maximum sentence, a year in prison. Incidentally, the posts being used in deciding his conviction weren't even written by Henson, but by someone else. Here we have a conviction of "hate crimes" without hate, or a crime. Now if this stands in California, anyone who posts articles to Usenet that someone claims, no matter how unreasonably, somehow scares them, can apparently get a conviction and put someone away based on nothing more substantial than dislike. In this particular case, it appears to be, piss off the Scientologists, go to jail, and it doesn't even apparently matter whether you wrote the posts in question or not. In any case there will probably be very bad news in this case on Wednesday. Henson's contact info [home phone number deleted --DBM] Email: hkhensonat_private Rob Clark ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if it remains intact. To subscribe, visit http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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