5 ms·

I'm not parent; possibly because he's not a US citizen and what he did falls under the umbrella of protections afforded to journalist?

kpU8efre7r 7y ago
Well then he will be found innocent right? What's the big deal?
- greedo 7y ago
  Because when you're wrongfully charged, you're often imprisoned, etc etc. And the cost of defending yourself can be astronomical.
  - DoreenMichele 7y ago
    A quick google suggests the maximum sentence for the crime Assange is accused of is 5 years. He has already spent nearly 7 years in an embassy, kind of under "house arrest" type conditions.
  - kpU8efre7r 7y ago
    >Wrongfully charged You've seen all the evidence?
    - greedo 7y ago
      Nope, never said so at all. Just commented about the power imbalance between an individual and the government. There's no real negative outcome for the government when they wrongfully charge someone. Worst result is they lose the case. More often, they overload the charge sheet such that most cases end up in a plea agreement. For the defendant, the burden is incredible. Often you're jailed, so no income. Legal costs are high, and if you're middle class, ruinous. Then the nature of most trials is that despite "innocent until proven guilty," the government typically benefits from a favorable reputation in the jury room. Finally, look at what normally happens when the government and its agents falsify evidence? Normally a slap on the hand, a dismissal of the case, etc etc. The prosecution can treat the discovery process as if it's optional with no real repercussions. So imho, it's not even close to a fair match. Remeber Richlieu's boast? "If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him."
- hnbroseph 7y ago
  "innocent" of what? i'm sure prosecutors will have ten thousand pages of varied charges. the us wants to make an example of him very loudly and very publicly.
dragonwriter 7y ago
Not being a US citizen doesn't seem relevant, and, what he is charged with is not within the “umbrella of protections afforded to journalists” (which mostly doesn't exist: the US protects the right to publish, but does not generally have special status-based or for journalists, though “freedom of the press” is sometimes misunderstood that way.)
- roenxi 7y ago
  > Not being a US citizen doesn't seem relevant It may well not be, but as a principle that is a bad idea. What if Saudi Arabia decides you are illegally blaspheming, or the Chinese Communist Party decides you are undermining social stability with your views? It should be relevant if a 'crime' was committed somewhere it is not criminalised. Not necessarily a get-out-of-jail-free card, but relevant.
  - waffleguy 7y ago
    Your comment makes no sense.
- lovich 7y ago
  Not being a US citizen doesn't seem relevant for being prosecuted under US laws in a US jurisdiction? You may not have been one of the group who said this but that's a hot take from a forum that almost imploded over the "violation of sovereignty" that was the EU applying their GPDR rules to US based companies
  - dragonwriter 7y ago
    > Not being a US citizen doesn't seem relevant for being prosecuted under US laws in a US jurisdiction? Correct. Very few US crimes are contingent on having US citizenship, and the one Assange is charged with is not one of them. > You may not have been one of the group who said this but that's a hot take from a forum that almost imploded over the "violation of sovereignty" that was the EU applying their GPDR rules to US based companies “A loud minority on HN said something on a different issue that can be viewed as contrary to what you said on this issue” is an accurate response to most HN comments, but not a particularly meaningful one to any.

kpU8efre7r 7y ago

Well then he will be found innocent right? What's the big deal?

greedo 7y ago
Because when you're wrongfully charged, you're often imprisoned, etc etc. And the cost of defending yourself can be astronomical.
- DoreenMichele 7y ago
  A quick google suggests the maximum sentence for the crime Assange is accused of is 5 years. He has already spent nearly 7 years in an embassy, kind of under "house arrest" type conditions.
- kpU8efre7r 7y ago
  >Wrongfully charged You've seen all the evidence?
  - greedo 7y ago
    Nope, never said so at all. Just commented about the power imbalance between an individual and the government. There's no real negative outcome for the government when they wrongfully charge someone. Worst result is they lose the case. More often, they overload the charge sheet such that most cases end up in a plea agreement. For the defendant, the burden is incredible. Often you're jailed, so no income. Legal costs are high, and if you're middle class, ruinous. Then the nature of most trials is that despite "innocent until proven guilty," the government typically benefits from a favorable reputation in the jury room. Finally, look at what normally happens when the government and its agents falsify evidence? Normally a slap on the hand, a dismissal of the case, etc etc. The prosecution can treat the discovery process as if it's optional with no real repercussions. So imho, it's not even close to a fair match. Remeber Richlieu's boast? "If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him."
hnbroseph 7y ago
"innocent" of what? i'm sure prosecutors will have ten thousand pages of varied charges. the us wants to make an example of him very loudly and very publicly.

dragonwriter 7y ago

Not being a US citizen doesn't seem relevant, and, what he is charged with is not within the “umbrella of protections afforded to journalists” (which mostly doesn't exist: the US protects the right to publish, but does not generally have special status-based or for journalists, though “freedom of the press” is sometimes misunderstood that way.)

roenxi 7y ago
> Not being a US citizen doesn't seem relevant It may well not be, but as a principle that is a bad idea. What if Saudi Arabia decides you are illegally blaspheming, or the Chinese Communist Party decides you are undermining social stability with your views? It should be relevant if a 'crime' was committed somewhere it is not criminalised. Not necessarily a get-out-of-jail-free card, but relevant.
- waffleguy 7y ago
  Your comment makes no sense.
lovich 7y ago
Not being a US citizen doesn't seem relevant for being prosecuted under US laws in a US jurisdiction? You may not have been one of the group who said this but that's a hot take from a forum that almost imploded over the "violation of sovereignty" that was the EU applying their GPDR rules to US based companies
- dragonwriter 7y ago
  > Not being a US citizen doesn't seem relevant for being prosecuted under US laws in a US jurisdiction? Correct. Very few US crimes are contingent on having US citizenship, and the one Assange is charged with is not one of them. > You may not have been one of the group who said this but that's a hot take from a forum that almost imploded over the "violation of sovereignty" that was the EU applying their GPDR rules to US based companies “A loud minority on HN said something on a different issue that can be viewed as contrary to what you said on this issue” is an accurate response to most HN comments, but not a particularly meaningful one to any.