Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!rutgers!mcdchg!ddsw1!learn
From: learn@ddsw1.MCS.COM (William Vajk)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Student suspended for distributing /etc/passwd
Message-ID: <1991Jun27.043053.16118@ddsw1.MCS.COM>
Date: 27 Jun 91 04:30:53 GMT
References: <1991Jun18.160449.17528@milton.u.washington.edu> <1991Jun22.232427.4643@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <1991Jun23.010428.1440@athena.cs.uga.edu>
Organization: Dares No Organization Like Dis Organization
Lines: 37

In article <1991Jun23.010428.1440@athena.cs.uga.edu> Michael Covington writes:

>In article <1991Jun22.232427.4643@ddsw1.MCS.COM> William Vajk writes:

>>There must be a trail of evidence. The student in question stands convicted
>>of a "crime" which has not been proven.

>>	1)  there must be a crime.

>>	2)  now you procede to case #2 which is aiding and abetting
>	    by sending the file.

>    At this point I cannot give you the precise evidence.
 
>    However, it is _not_ necessary to convict the principal in a crime
>    before convicting an accessory. It is only necessary to prove that
>    the crime occurred and that the accessory knew he was assisting in
>    the crime.


Excuse me for pointing this out. Are we experiencing an attention
deficit her or what ?

I just said there must be a crime. The crime must be proved. Have you
indicated the crime was proved? Is there a trail of evidence that the
individual who cracked athena (if indeed they did) was catually the
same individual to whom your student sent the passwor file? If not,
then the accessory wasn't an accessory to a "crime."

Regarding that "crime" it appears that some number of states have laws on
the books which are already sorely in need of revision as they were modeled
on some ill advised precepts.

I need only remind you of the 'back of the bus' laws of the past. No, laws
aren't always right, they're just laws. A little civil disobedience, anyone?

Bill Vajk