Can McKinnon Get a 'Fair Trial' in the US?

Fears Gary McKinnon could become suicidal if jailed in US

Link to source of above

Gary McKinnon's case against extradition has focused on fears that the 43-year-old hacker, who has Asperger's syndrome, could be incarcerated in a US "supermax" prison for up to 60 years.

McKinnon, in an interview on Radio 5 Live, said he did not believe he would get a fair trial if he was extradited on charges of hacking into 97 computers, including those of Nasa and the Pentagon, and causing damage costing $700,000 (£430,000).

McKinnon said: "There is no way I would get a jury of my peers in America. I would be tried in Virginia and lots of people in Virginia work for defence contractors. I'm accused of damaging defence computers."

Although the US department of justice has assured the Home Office McKinnon would be properly treated, conditions in supermax prisons are notoriously severe. They provide the highest level of security and are reserved for murderers, gang-related prisoners and those perceived to represent a threat to national security.

Do you think the punishment would fit the crime, if he was sentenced to live the rest of his life in a supermax prison?
How is it that some criminals who have bilked the PEOPLE out of trillions, or just mere billions, like Maddoff, get the country club prison and someone like McKinnon should get a supermax?

Is he going to get a fair trial in the US?

Nope. There is no such thing as a Fair Trial in the United States anymore. The only thing is who has the more expensive attorney.

reply to post by whatukno


It's still a 12 person jury sequestered from the news, contact w/the outside world...so their decisions are not bias...just because it's not flawless doesn't mean that it's not fair.

I personally hope they bury him UNDER the jail. He is a foreigner that hacked US government files...if he was Islamic how would you feel?

[edit on 31-7-2009 by Aggie Man]

They say he could do a max of 70 years, which in theory turns into him doing 20 some odd years. (give or take a few He will be well into his 70's before getting out, theoretically)

Why wouldn't he get a fair trial? The U.S.A. is a just and fair entity, only serving him justice for "hacking" (don't know if I would call it hacking that he did) into some of the U.S. Government's top systems. He WILL get tried and he WILL pay the price.

reply to post by Aggie Man

if he was Islamic how would you feel?

Yea let's not get all bigoted about this now. After all he is still "suspected" of committing this crime. Remember, innocent until proven guilty. And if he does hard fed time, that often comes without parole which means this kid will likely die in jail.

Besides the fact that how many of the people on this board would have given their left arm to see what this kid saw?

As a Brit I wish our government would grow a pair of you-know-whats and stand up for one of our own and stop being the US`s lapdog. Yes he `hacked` into sensitive systems but what real harm - apart from embarrassment factor - has he really caused? If anything he revealed huge holes in the non-existent security which could have been used nefariously by `enemy states`.

Whatever he claims to have possibly seen will just be denied IF it was there in the first place. 70 years for walking through what amounted to an open door is somewhat harsh, no?

reply to post by KSPigpen


Hey mate, great question.

I think that he will be judged fairly by the jury, and sentenced harshly by the judge.

I also wouldn't trust some of the evidence submitted by the prosecution, if he really was such a master hacker, the government's best interests are not served by airing all this stuff out in the open!

S+F matey!