Gary McKinnon has 'no choice' but to refuse medical test {UPDATED}

[IContainMultitudes]

BBC News - Gary McKinnon 'no choice' but to refuse medical test

Gary McKinnon 'no choice' but to refuse medical test

Computer hacker Gary McKinnon "has no choice" but to refuse a medical test to see if he is fit to be extradited to the US, his mother has said.

Janis Sharp said it was "an impossibility" because the expert chosen by the Home Office had no experience with Asperger's syndrome.

Mr McKinnon, from north London, admits hacking US military computers but says he was looking for evidence of UFOs.

If he is convicted in the US, he could face up to 60 years in jail.

The Home Office said the matter would be discussed at a hearing at the High Court on 24 July.

At the last court hearing on July 5, judges were told Theresa May was "close" to making a decision.

But Mrs May said she was "personally concerned" he had not been examined by a Home Office-appointed medical assessor, to decide whether there was a risk of suicide if extradited.

His family say the Home Office expert, Professor Thomas Fahy, has no experience in uncovering suicidal tendencies in Asperger's syndrome patients.

Ms Sharp told BBC Three Counties Radio: "It is not a refusal, he had no choice - it is an impossibility because the assessment they want him to have is by someone who has no experience and wouldn't be able to diagnose his suicide risk."

Mr McKinnon, 46, had three medical examinations in April by three leading experts in Aspergers and suicidal risk, Professor Simon Baron Cohen, Professor Jeremy Turk and Dr Jan Vermeulen.

They concluded Mr McKinnon was at extreme risk of suicide if extradited and he was currently unfit for trial.

The family's decision is supported by the National Autistic Society, which has written to the Home Office recommending alternative experts.

At the High Court hearing earlier this month Hugo Keith QC, appearing for the home secretary, said the case had important implications for Britain's extradition laws.

The judges heard the joint current view of two psychiatric experts - Professor Thomas Fahy and Professor Declan Murphy - was that Mr McKinnon's suicide risk was "moderate".

But Dr Jan Vermeulen, one of the medical experts appointed by Mr McKinnon's advisers, asserted for the first time that he was unfit to plead and stand trial.

Mr Keith said there was lack of supporting evidence for that view, but a fresh examination could lead to a resolution of the differing views.

Mr McKinnon's family had until 19 July to agree to the new examination.

Mr McKinnon, who hacked into the US computers in 2002, has been fighting extradition since 2006.

Ms Sharp added: "Gary has endured 10 years of mental trauma and has lost 10 years of his youth. We so need a good end to this.

"I'm sure that Theresa May will do what's right, and make a just and compassionate decision now and allow Gary to begin to regain some of the life he has lost."

A Home Office spokesman said the home secretary would make a decision as soon as possible.

"This is a complex case, in a complex area of the law, and a large amount of material has been submitted, some of it relatively recently.

"She needs to consider all the material carefully before making a decision."

 

[total-recoil]

Yes, this situation is definitely not right. Surely Gary's aspergers is a factor that would call for mitigating circumstances. Aspies are obsessive in their drive to follow up on their interest and Gary believed governments had evidence of E.T. He hacked into NASA computer systems from the privacy of his bedroom, no doubt engrossed in his task for hours on end. The issue is not that aspies aren't capable of knowing right from wrong but the over-riding factor is aspies are obsessive over their interests. This should have been a factor from the beginning of the legal process.
Also, suicide risk is a definite issue. I know of one aspie who did take his life and he was a good friend of mine. Gary is currently depressed so there is definitely a risk.
Above all, the security system at NASA must have been deeply flawed. What if Gary had been a real terrorist? Didn't he just expose the poor level of cyber security?
What annoys me is the Government knows little if anything about aspergers and are apparently ignoring the trained psychologists who do. Really they're just afraid of making a stand on the family's behalf.

BBC News - Gary McKinnon 'no choice' but to refuse medical test

 

[smith2267]

It sounds to me like he had no intent to cause harm. And if that many experts all agree he is at risk of suicide it's probably true. I hope they give the guy a break.

 

[Spinning Compass]

Perhaps he had no intention of causing harm, but I wonder, did no one ever sit down with him and discuss the consequences of his actions/obsessions? What he did is a pretty big deal with potentially serious consequences. As a person who works in a high security industry that is under threat, I don't think I would be very sympathetic if someone with AS hacked into my workplace.

It is one thing to have an interest/obsession. It is another thing to BREAK THE LAW in the pursuit of an obsession. And I am going to go out on a limb and say that if he was intelligent enough to do what he did, he was intelligent enough to understand that what he was doing was wrong. Yes, it is tragic, but those of us with "controversial" obsessions need to learn what the lines are and what is and what is not appropriate.

 

[King_Oni]

If he breaks the law (and actually that goes for every person on the entire globe) make sure those people understand the law, and also understand how the law might interfere with their interests. Most people will not use guns on people, even if they like to shoot on a range. But it's a faulty assumption to expect no one does it, because "most people don't".

I don't feel hacking should be illegal, but I think that using the data you got from it, should be made punishable (but I'll go into that in a second). Hacking is pretty much the same as trying to open a lock on a door with wires, keys and all kinds of tools. If the door opens, good... you showed the lock doesn't do it's job like it should, it doesn't give you access to plunder the premise.

And probably with my reasoning I just wrote down, there's a start for someone to feel like there's no offense in hacking.

Also, even if are people intelligent enough it does not warrant the state (or country) to understand every action and consequence... I think there's way too much being assumed here. Because you're not "stupid" it doesn't mean that you are aware of every action. Can you be held accountable for those actions... to be honest... no, unless you can make sure that someone (and AS isn't even the issue here) was fully aware of what's "right" and "wrong". It also comes with the entire "what's controversial?". As long we as a society cannot impose clear rules upon that and make everyone read and understand those (eventually by having nationalised pop-up quizzes monthly), I think it's utter BS to assume anything within the greater structure of society.

Yes, I'm well aware that a train of thought like mine doesn't really contribute to the bigger picture of a "working society" and my arguments, if everyone would be like that, would tear it down significantly... but the fact that I can make such statements, probably means that there are no such rules imposed upon the societal structure. It's not that I don't believe in laws, I'm just quite sure that there's a lot to be desired in terms of definitions and assumptions... and even more IF you take in account people with extreme obsessions, therefore eventually (a similar assumption I could make under current rules and regulations) does not care nor understand implications it brings since there's a bit of tunnel vision going on.

On a related sidenote;

Say he found evidence for UFO's... I'm all up for saying that he actually proves society a favor, because I for one, will not accept hidden agendas and hidden information from any government. I don't even call that "intending to cause harm", I'd call that civic duty.

I stated earlier that the data you obtain for hacking might be made punishable... that might be the only implication here. I'm somewhat in the middle, since looking for evidence for something the military or government mocked up, in my opinion, isn't wrong. Questioning and looking for proof if you feel there's something else going on in regards to the government is something everyone should do. I'm not saying everyone should hack and cause problems, but people should be more critical to start with. People don't deserve to be lied to. And this is just another case of "I want to know if they're hiding something from me"... the fact that there's something hidden is equally wrong (if it would be the case) if not even more wrong... the government is in service of it's people, not the other way around.

Excuse me... while I indulge on V for Vendetta again.

Also; this post is no personal attack on anyone who posted here, even if it looked quite clear that I picked out your post Spinning Compass, but your post gave me the best way to respond and tie in here, so please take no offense in going on about your post primarily.

 

[Spinning Compass]

I am not offended, King Oni. However, I still stand by what I have said. I'm quite intrigued with your analogy of the locks and doors. I am assuming that the locks and doors that you are talking about belong to you, right? If so, no problem. But if the locks that you are poking around trying to unlock belong to other people, then yes, there is a big problem.

Last summer I had a problem with the neighbor children trying to get into my car. I finally took them aside and said to them in the presence of their parents, "I am going to tell you something that your mommy and daddy don't love you enough to teach you. You DO NOT mess with other people's cars! Because someday you may mess with the wrong person's car and they will HURT you." Did it make an impression? No. I ended up having to park my car elsewhere. They have since moved but I fully expect that some day I am going to turn on the news and see these kids' names on the weekly police report. Because they haven't developed a basic respect for other people's property.

These concepts are not rocket science. I don't think it is so much a matter of understanding as choosing to ignore them in the belief that nothing will happen. Thank God my parents did not raise me that way.

 

[total-recoil]

He did break the law and overstepped boundaries. However, he is indeed vulnerable. His manic drive to find out if there was evidence UFO's are in a data base clouded his sense of boundary. It also led to the break-up of his relationship. To Gary, I imagine this an exercise in fact-finding and he probably shrugged off the serious implications.
No way should he be extradited in my opinion. The A.S. and his overall health is a factor that can't be dismissed. He would not survive in a foreign jail system so this could be akin to a death sentence (and my best friend who had aspergers did take his own life 3 years ago).
The logical alternative is to try and sentence him here but sadly not even the European Court has backed him.
By the way, another case is the ***** Riot situation in Russia, also being championed by Sting (who I think supports Gary too).
In both cases, reckless actions offended and inconvenienced many and there is a seeming call for blood.

Perhaps he had no intention of causing harm, but I wonder, did no one ever sit down with him and discuss the consequences of his actions/obsessions? What he did is a pretty big deal with potentially serious consequences. As a person who works in a high security industry that is under threat, I don't think I would be very sympathetic if someone with AS hacked into my workplace.

It is one thing to have an interest/obsession. It is another thing to BREAK THE LAW in the pursuit of an obsession. And I am going to go out on a limb and say that if he was intelligent enough to do what he did, he was intelligent enough to understand that what he was doing was wrong. Yes, it is tragic, but those of us with "controversial" obsessions need to learn what the lines are and what is and what is not appropriate.

 

[Spinning Compass]

What bothers me about this case--and I know I sound hard-hearted--is that by using Asperger's as a defense he is reinforcing society's negative opinion of those with AS or mental disabilities in general. That we are obsessive, impulsive, reckless, heedless of consequences, and so forth. This is one of the reasons I am reluctant to "come out" at work. Perhaps one of the reasons so many of us have problems fitting into society and finding meaningful work is because of stunts like this. What he did HURTS our cause. To what degree, we will never know collectively. It's nice that he has supporters but where are those same supporters when Aspies are being discriminated against in the job market? I don't know what the answer is and I am certainly not calling for blood, but think about it. How many POSITIVE stories do you hear about those who have cognitive impairments? Not very many. But let an Aspie or a mentally ill person do something violent or potentially harmful and it is all over the place. Think about it. If he had had cancer or diabetes would they be calling attention to his condition? Of course not!

 

[total-recoil]

What's happening is the media have informed people Gary has aspergers and also bouts of depression. This point has been made to draw a distinction between Gary and an actual terrorist. Most sympathisers believe there is a difference between a UFO fanatic and a terrorist who hacks into networks to maybe sell secrets to Governments and so on. The feeling is he should be tried in a court but not deported as his psychologists have stated they believe there is a risk of suicide. The psychologists are professionals and will be well trained enough to determine if suicide is a risk in this case.
The Government seems to be choosing to ignore this evidence and seem to care nothing about the impact on the parents. Imagine you're the mother of a son who has severe aspergers and your son is going to be locked up in an oversea jail (maybe surrounded by hardened criminals) and perhaps no access to the support he needs. They want to set up a rubber stamp examination to make deportation easier. His mother only knows he spent his time isolated in a bedroom, obsessed by a drive to find out if NASA has evidence of E.T. The next thing she knows her son faces potential terrorist charges.
Personally I think the whole situation is wrong and he should be tried and sentenced so he's not cut off from his family. I also wonder about the impact this will have if Gary does take his own life and I've seen that happen once before.
As to the UFO situation, evidently he found no smoking gun. If you ask me he's been influenced by too many sc-fi movies because I still can't quite figure out why he assumes only NASA is going to have data evidence on E.T. So far as I'm aware he believed the U.S. Government had the remains of a crashed space ship which taught scientists how to use alternative fuels to oil. However, it makes no sense why he just assumed the U.S. Government has this database because we live on a large globe with vast territories. What about the Chinese Government, North Korea, Sibera and so on? If a UFO had crashed in Mongolia, the Mongolians aren't going to send the debris to NASA.

What bothers me about this case--and I know I sound hard-hearted--is that by using Asperger's as a defense he is reinforcing society's negative opinion of those with AS or mental disabilities in general. That we are obsessive, impulsive, reckless, heedless of consequences, and so forth. This is one of the reasons I am reluctant to "come out" at work. Perhaps one of the reasons so many of us have problems fitting into society and finding meaningful work is because of stunts like this. What he did HURTS our cause. To what degree, we will never know collectively. It's nice that he has supporters but where are those same supporters when Aspies are being discriminated against in the job market? I don't know what the answer is and I am certainly not calling for blood, but think about it. How many POSITIVE stories do you hear about those who have cognitive impairments? Not very many. But let an Aspie or a mentally ill person do something violent or potentially harmful and it is all over the place. Think about it. If he had had cancer or diabetes would they be calling attention to his condition? Of course not!

 

[total-recoil]

Have you considered that perhaps Governments don't have a monopoly on classified information? I also think that due to the sci-fi culture of Star Trek and X-Files, we always assume the U.S. Government alone has this monopoly of information. Of course, governments do classify files in their archives pertaining to UFO's and there will more than likely be some mega classified incidents. However, many of these cases involve everyday people who inevitably go to the police and some 20 years ago there was a sighting by a police officer not far from my area.
The whole UFO saga makes for an interesting subject and you can see how it goes through various phases. In the fifties you had George Adamski - an American "contactee" who claimed to be in touch with Venusians and he appeared on one or two T.V. shows. Then in the sixties we slowly get into the abduction/hypnosis phenomenon. First case was Betty and Barney Hill and anyone who's interested can google the case. They were evidently driving by night, saw a light in the sky and then had some sort of black out. Later when they arrived home it was found they had lost time so went to see a hynotherapist/psychologist called Dr Benjamin Simon. He coaxed out under hypnosis a suppressed account of a medical examination in which the Hills were supposedly taken on board a space ship and then examined by curious aliens. At the time, I thought this was an amazing incident and very believable but......
Everbody then got in on the action. A private investigator called Bud Hopkins began experimenting more with hypnosis and claimed to have uncovered dozens of cases where human beings had been selected by aliens and taken away to space ships for routine implants and examinations. Hopkin's work is still available and you can probably get copies of his books on e-bay. However, we arrived at a point where everybody was getting kidnapped and then the whole UFO phenomenon was beginning to appear to fall into the sphere of fantasists.
My view is this: Of the literally thousands and thousands of cases recorded, a tiny minority are baffling. I also think there is definitely life on other planets but the big question is at what distance in space and beyond Alpha Centauri.
Very recently scientists discovered life on the earth in places so inhospitable to life it was unimaginable there could be life. Yet life had found a way to adapt so these days probably a majority of serious scientists believe there is life beyond our solar system.
Sorry for going a bit off-topic.

If he breaks the law (and actually that goes for every person on the entire globe) make sure those people understand the law, and also understand how the law might interfere with their interests. Most people will not use guns on people, even if they like to shoot on a range. But it's a faulty assumption to expect no one does it, because "most people don't".

I don't feel hacking should be illegal, but I think that using the data you got from it, should be made punishable (but I'll go into that in a second). Hacking is pretty much the same as trying to open a lock on a door with wires, keys and all kinds of tools. If the door opens, good... you showed the lock doesn't do it's job like it should, it doesn't give you access to plunder the premise.

And probably with my reasoning I just wrote down, there's a start for someone to feel like there's no offense in hacking.

Also, even if are people intelligent enough it does not warrant the state (or country) to understand every action and consequence... I think there's way too much being assumed here. Because you're not "stupid" it doesn't mean that you are aware of every action. Can you be held accountable for those actions... to be honest... no, unless you can make sure that someone (and AS isn't even the issue here) was fully aware of what's "right" and "wrong". It also comes with the entire "what's controversial?". As long we as a society cannot impose clear rules upon that and make everyone read and understand those (eventually by having nationalised pop-up quizzes monthly), I think it's utter BS to assume anything within the greater structure of society.

Yes, I'm well aware that a train of thought like mine doesn't really contribute to the bigger picture of a "working society" and my arguments, if everyone would be like that, would tear it down significantly... but the fact that I can make such statements, probably means that there are no such rules imposed upon the societal structure. It's not that I don't believe in laws, I'm just quite sure that there's a lot to be desired in terms of definitions and assumptions... and even more IF you take in account people with extreme obsessions, therefore eventually (a similar assumption I could make under current rules and regulations) does not care nor understand implications it brings since there's a bit of tunnel vision going on.

On a related sidenote;

Say he found evidence for UFO's... I'm all up for saying that he actually proves society a favor, because I for one, will not accept hidden agendas and hidden information from any government. I don't even call that "intending to cause harm", I'd call that civic duty.

I stated earlier that the data you obtain for hacking might be made punishable... that might be the only implication here. I'm somewhat in the middle, since looking for evidence for something the military or government mocked up, in my opinion, isn't wrong. Questioning and looking for proof if you feel there's something else going on in regards to the government is something everyone should do. I'm not saying everyone should hack and cause problems, but people should be more critical to start with. People don't deserve to be lied to. And this is just another case of "I want to know if they're hiding something from me"... the fact that there's something hidden is equally wrong (if it would be the case) if not even more wrong... the government is in service of it's people, not the other way around.

Excuse me... while I indulge on V for Vendetta again.

Also; this post is no personal attack on anyone who posted here, even if it looked quite clear that I picked out your post Spinning Compass, but your post gave me the best way to respond and tie in here, so please take no offense in going on about your post primarily.

 

[King_Oni]

I am not offended, King Oni. However, I still stand by what I have said. I'm quite intrigued with your analogy of the locks and doors. I am assuming that the locks and doors that you are talking about belong to you, right? If so, no problem. But if the locks that you are poking around trying to unlock belong to other people, then yes, there is a big problem.

I don't see it as a problem if someone tries to unlock my door... it just means I need a better lock. I have a problem if someone enters and steals, I don't have a problem if someone points out "hey, your door is open". But apparently I'm the minority here that doesn't care that much about someone acting like this... I do have privacy issues, but not so much security issues. And let's face it... if we just outlaw "breaching privacy" what good is it to enter somewhere?

As for the example of your car... if the broke it, broke the lock, scratched it, then yes... you're messing with other peoples property and shouldn't do that. I don't really see a problem in someone exposing the "hey... bad locks" thing.

So... yeah, I might be the minority here but people "opening" things I don't mind. And with that I wonder, do they charge him for exposing crappy security? Or do they charge him for "stealing information".

 

[Deno]

Perhaps he had no intention of causing harm, but I wonder, did no one ever sit down with him and discuss the consequences of his actions/obsessions? What he did is a pretty big deal with potentially serious consequences. As a person who works in a high security industry that is under threat, I don't think I would be very sympathetic if someone with AS hacked into my workplace.

It is one thing to have an interest/obsession. It is another thing to BREAK THE LAW in the pursuit of an obsession. And I am going to go out on a limb and say that if he was intelligent enough to do what he did, he was intelligent enough to understand that what he was doing was wrong. Yes, it is tragic, but those of us with "controversial" obsessions need to learn what the lines are and what is and what is not appropriate.

I completely agree that he may have had no intention of causing harm. Chances are no one ever spoke to him about if hacking into NASA was a socially acceptable thing to do (or a Legal thing for this matter). He may have been very knowledgeable about computers and hacking, but not have the slightest clue whether anything he is doing is illegal.

Seems believable to me.. I have my interests, which I know more about than the average joe. But on the flip side there are other things that I am sure don't even cross my mind.

 

[buckyboy14]

Wow...I hadn't heard about this. Asperger's is not well understood by the judicial world, so while I hope he receives a more lax punishment than a NT who did the same thing, my hopes are not high that this will be the case.

 

[Gomendosi]

To my way of thinking, one does not acquire the necessary level of skill it takes to hack into the computers at a place like that, without having picked up some understanding of societies ideals of right and wrong along the way, I believe he should get a reasonable sentence for his crime, but the media circus has begun and the fact of who he perpetrated the crime against is going to mean he will probably rot in jail for a lifetime for being an inquisitive and disrespectful, poor choice making idiot.

However, the side note of a mental aspect to the case is going to draw things out and sell a lot of newspapers, so he may yet have a chance if he plays up to that big time. So however it turns out, it just goes to show that with the right angle, anybody can do anything and possibly get away with it.

 

[rolo]

Aspergers and mental illness are understood by the judicial world-they are just not tolerated by them or the powers that be-If you upset or embarrass The State it will have its vengeance

 

[Spinning Compass]

I don't see it as a problem if someone tries to unlock my door... it just means I need a better lock. I have a problem if someone enters and steals, I don't have a problem if someone points out "hey, your door is open". But apparently I'm the minority here that doesn't care that much about someone acting like this... I do have privacy issues, but not so much security issues. And let's face it... if we just outlaw "breaching privacy" what good is it to enter somewhere?

As for the example of your car... if the broke it, broke the lock, scratched it, then yes... you're messing with other peoples property and shouldn't do that. I don't really see a problem in someone exposing the "hey... bad locks" thing.

So... yeah, I might be the minority here but people "opening" things I don't mind. And with that I wonder, do they charge him for exposing crappy security? Or do they charge him for "stealing information".

Well, no offense, King Oni, but around these parts people DO have a problem with the "exposing bad locks" thing. It's generally not a good idea to go around trying to see if things are secure or unsecure. I would say that if you are going to try locks out for fun you'd better know who's on the other side. Because some of these folks don't have much use for the legal system if you get my drift. Going around testing security systems is playing with fire. I wouldn't want to try the "hey you have bad locks" with my drug dealer neighbors. But then I live in America which is full of guns, legal and otherwise.

Same goes with computer systems. You'd better know whose system you are breaking into because again, some of these folks won't appreciate it and they aren't going to be one for the courts either if they find out who it is. You don't know what kind of connections they have. You get them pissed off enough no telling what they are going to do.

What people don't realize is that McKinnon is relatively lucky. He was playing a dangerous game and he happened to be fortunate enough to pick a target that plays by the rules of the judicial system. There, he will get at least some acknowledgment of his condition. But there are people who DO NOT play by the rules and they play rough and they KILL anyone who gets in their way. And they aren't all low-life drug dealers either. I don't know how many people are familiar with the Karen Silkwood case. She wasn't autistic, she was a whistleblower. On her way to testify, she had an "accident" which conveniently took her out of the picture. Or was it an accident?

So I am saying that if anyone on this forum is doing the kinds of things McKinnon was doing they'd better know exactly who they are dealing with!!!!

 

[Loomis]

I don't see it as a problem if someone tries to unlock my door... it just means I need a better lock. I have a problem if someone enters and steals, I don't have a problem if someone points out "hey, your door is open". But apparently I'm the minority here that doesn't care that much about someone acting like this... I do have privacy issues, but not so much security issues. And let's face it... if we just outlaw "breaching privacy" what good is it to enter somewhere?

Sometimes i wonder how good the locks are on "aspiecentral.com" I would not be too happy if the site were hacked and my email and other data were broadcast to the world.

 

[King_Oni]

Loomis; I think you're not seeing the point I made. It's not that I say that breaking in and "stealing" stuff is what I think is the right thing. I'm just talking about the act of exposing bad security, not about exposing everyones information. Those are two totally different things. Of course; in reality people who open locks do it for other purposes than just "exposing bad locks". But I rather see those acts in a vaccuum. If we're sticking with "but we all know people wont do only that", then I feel a lot of arguments on any forum would be silly to debate because any hypothetical issue is rendered moot.

Spinning compass; Yes, I understand that not all people will go play by legal rules. Perhaps it's wrong for me to assume people will do so... but with such assumption I wouldn't carry a weapon when trying out my "lockpicking" skills. If we're going the route of "some people are armed, so you better know who you deal with"... then by all means I might even try out my stuff armed and all, just in case people will not take it lightly.

In a more real argument I'm willing to go out on a limb and state "clearly the NASA had something to hide"... why lock all data? The bigger the lock, the bigger the curiosity and not so much the bigger the loot.

Also; I should state that in Holland we have breaches of government security regularly. USB sticks with data of citizens is found in the streets from time to time. And just now, by looking up information; there even is a dutch website that promotes hacking and making government services and information more transparant for it's citizens; Just looked around on the website; they even give hacking workshops. Reading further on the website; the site is even supported by the government to have experts on board to actually improve security. So it's both field experts as well as an ideology the promote. As such I think someone like McKinnon should even be offered a job for such a service, if possble.

I wonder how much of a threat McKinnon was. He merely exposed bad security and got some information (or at least confirmation that what he looked for wasn't there). Yes, if someone hacked in with ill intentions, that's a problem... imagine someone like McKinnon hacked and actually did something bad, such as launch missles (yet that's probably army you're talking about). At least now the government have reasons to increase their security, since apparently people CAN get in (even if it's obsessed, autistic people).

In terms of security issues; wikileaks anyone? I find it silly that there are action against such a website, but also, that might just be me.

Maybe I just feel more transparency should be around, especially if it involves taxpayers/citizens money.

 

[King_Oni]

So, apparently... McKinnon will stand trial in the UK

UK blocks hacker McKinnon's extradition to U.S. - CNN.com

 

[total-recoil]

So, apparently... McKinnon will stand trial in the UK
UK blocks hacker McKinnon's extradition to U.S. - CNN.com

The woman who made the decision must have known there would be implications for her conscience if this man took his own life. Clearly she didn't want to have to be in the position to try and explain to Gary's mother why she had agreed to extradite him (faced with a risk of suicide) and then the possible social outrage that could seriously damage her party in the elections.
However, one point that people appear to be missing in this country is the McKinnon case has already been discussed with President Obama and it seems clear to me Obama has been flexible over the situation and endorsed a completey free choice, thereby removing the pressure.
Yes, Aspergers has definitely been put forwards as a probably misunderstood mental illness and very often quoted in terms of "vulnerable". Nevertheless, there really is no genuine conception that Aspergers "caused" Mckinnon to hack into the Pentagon or that aspergers makes you somehow incapable of carrying out crime (as a mitigating disorder). The "vulnerability" is more to do with gary himself, clearly not the type of guy to "hack it" (pardon the pun) in a multi-racial, gangland jail where he'd probably not last 5 minutes.
I agree with the decision here but, sure, if he did as much damage to databases as has been claimed, he could be charged over here. Really I don't know the extent of the hacking damage but am still surprised security was so poor. What if it had been a real terrorist and not a geek sitting in his bedroom at night.