Palin Testifies in Email Hacker Case
[Guest post by DRJ]
Sarah Palin testified today in a Tennessee criminal case in which student David Kernell is charged with hacking her email account:
“As her husband Todd looked on, Palin told jurors she first discovered her account had been breached when watching a TV news report from the campaign trail in Michigan. The Secret Service and a campaign aide later confirmed it was true, she said.
Palin testified that her “gov.palin” e-mail account and red Blackberry were her primary means of keeping in touch with her family in Alaska as she campaigned as the Republican vice presidential nominee. She said the breach caused a huge “disruption” in her family members’ personal and professional lives.
“Friends and family had to change their contacts and e-mails,” she told reporters outside the courtroom of the fallout from the hack job. “It’s not right, it’s not legal, it’s not fair and decent…I don’t think an illegal action like this was a college prank.”
Palin’s daughter Bristol testified she received hundreds of “unsolicited phone calls and text messages, some threatening, after the alleged hacker exposed her cell phone number.”
Meanwhile, Kernell’s attorneys portrayed his act as a “silly prank” but the evidence paints a conflicting picture:
“Prosecutors showed jurors copies of e-mails and Internet postings filled with obscene language that were traced back to Kernell.
“He definitely talked about how he didn’t believe in what she wanted to do,” David Omiecinski, Kernell’s roommate at the University of Tennessee, said, although adding that Kernell said nothing about hurting Palin.
Kernell shared Palin’s private information with the world, including a cell phone number that belonged to her daughter, Bristol, according to prosecutors. He was arrested in October 2008.
Kernell’s roommate said the defendant bragged openly about what he did. But Davies told jurors that his client didn’t attempt to get rid of any evidence on his laptop and that he cried when he found out that the FBI was investigating him. “He really couldn’t have done more to let people know what he had done than he did,” Davies said.
Palin’s family friend Ivey Frye told jurors that the hacker sent “vile” and “vulgar” e-mails to Palin’s children and other relatives and friends, and that all their e-mail addresses were exposed.”
Mr. Kernell may have to take the stand.
— DRJ
i hope they throw the thanking book at his a55 and put him away until he’s old and gray.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 4/23/2010 @ 3:38 pm“…Mr. Kernell may have to take the stand.”
Wouldn’t compelling his testimony be a violation of his 5th-A Rights?
AD - RtR/OS! (9562e0) — 4/23/2010 @ 3:44 pmI think the implication is that the defendant may have to choose to take the stand because his case is not going well so far.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 4/23/2010 @ 3:47 pmwell, he can either defend himself against the testimony or let it stand unchallenged. i believe those are his two choices.
BTAINAL…..
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 4/23/2010 @ 3:49 pmThere is no excuse for that jerk-wad, and he needs to be prosecuted thoroughly.
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/23/2010 @ 4:05 pmWhat the heck does that have to do with anything?
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 4/23/2010 @ 4:09 pmI’m sure he will be “growing up” after a few years in the hoosegow!
SteveCan (72a7f6) — 4/23/2010 @ 4:47 pm“He really couldn’t have done more to let people know what he had done than he did,” Davies said.
What the heck does that have to do with anything?
Comment by EW1(SG)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But “he cried when he found out” he was being investigated, EW1… obviously the authorities must let him go.
GeneralMalaise (24d3e0) — 4/23/2010 @ 5:17 pmKernell redeemed himself on a local TV interview, confirming his opinion of Bristol: “she’s not my type”.
sybilll (10e949) — 4/23/2010 @ 5:33 pmhttp://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2010/04/bristol-palin-testifies-in-tennessee.html
50 years seems extreme, but, the cretin needs to serve some serious time, IMO.
But Davies told jurors that his client didn’t attempt to get rid of any evidence on his laptop
Trophies.
and that he cried when he found out that the FBI was investigating him
…and?
Dana (1e5ad4) — 4/23/2010 @ 5:44 pm50 years! Wow that is way overboard for that. How about 2-3 years being more fair.
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/23/2010 @ 5:45 pmSince he is a representatives son, maybe he will get preferential treatment like O’Keefe’s buddy did.
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/23/2010 @ 5:47 pmPlease explain for the benefit of those of us who are not up to speed on the sentancing of the four individuals involved in the Landrieu office matter.
AD - RtR/OS! (9562e0) — 4/23/2010 @ 5:52 pmWas there a sentance differential between one or more of the four? And what was it? And to whom?
cue the crickets…
GeneralMalaise (24d3e0) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:00 pmWhat would the Secret Service charge a person doing that to the Vice-President ?
That should be the standard. I would think about five years with parole after 30 months would be about right.
Mike K (2cf494) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:01 pmAs AD requested, could you please explain to us which buddy of O’Keefe’s got preferential treatment, and how his sentence differed from the others?
JD (9f2abc) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:02 pmThink of the many crimes involved in Pernell’s action, it’s not only a form of criminal tresspass, but theft and then virtually handing the key over
ian cormac (d56635) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:04 pmto other perpetrators. Also, in light of what we know of the Axelrod method, I sincerely doubt this
was an isolated account
Oh, and this is yet another example, in a long and growing line of examples, of you attempting to distract from a topic by doing a “Look! Bunnies!” and pointing to something other than the topic at hand.
JD (9f2abc) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:04 pm“Bunnies”…I’d forgotten that one. Heh!
AD - RtR/OS! (9562e0) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:07 pm10 to 15 years of having his “account” tapped by cell-mate Bubba sounds appropriate to me.
GeneralMalaise (24d3e0) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:10 pmI’d just as soon be the judge of the obscene language after that whole dealio with that nice judge person whose name started with a K. I don’t trust the media to know obscene from a very special Blossom.
happyfeet (c8caab) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:11 pmThey all got preferential treatment and a very expensive GOP lawyer. For instance, they are not facing felonies anymore. Why not?
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:13 pmAs an offer of good faith, I offer you this which I am amazed that no one here has latched onto, yet.
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:18 pmFor instance, they are not facing felonies anymore. Why not?
Probably because the original charges were bogus, and everyone knew it, and they offered them misdemeanors – probably with some meaningless probation attached – just to get them to go away and stop allowing the DoJ to continue embarrassing itself.
So, you don’t know what the actual sentancing is, do you?
AD - RtR/OS! (9562e0) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:24 pmTypical!
A plea bargain is proof of preferential treatment?!
JD (9f2abc) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:37 pmOf course, there’s alwaya the obligatory ‘look squirrel’ which judge feets,
ian cormac (d56635) — 4/23/2010 @ 6:44 pmIf he plays his cards right in a few years Palin will be president and he can petition her for a pardon.
DT (54e188) — 4/23/2010 @ 7:35 pmThat was a pretty good link I gave there. Maybe you should check it out. I can’t believe you would pass on that one, but whatever.
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:26 pmWhen you break into a federal property that is the office of a senator under false pretenses, that is a big freaking deal, no matter why you do it. They are extremely lucky to not be facing the felonies. They could have been looking at some major prison time. Look at what is happening to this guy for breaking into email, and giving out personal information.
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:32 pmYou do not get to determine what we are interested in, Chris.
JD (9f2abc) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:33 pmMaybe “enter” would have been a better word than “break.”
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:35 pmNobody broke into anyone’s office, Hootie.
You claimed they were given preferential treatment. Several people requested that you substantiate that. Like usual with you, none is forthcoming, and you are now doing everything you can to distract from the topic with your Look! Bunnies! act.
JD (9f2abc) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:36 pmThey never entered her office, either, Hootie. They were in her lobby/waiting area, and then in a hallway outside her offices.
JD (9f2abc) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:38 pm“Federal property” was what I claimed they entered I should have worded it “that contains a senator’s office.” As far as the preferential treatment, I don’t think most people get super high power GOP lawyers when in a pickle like this. I think friends and the son of a republican representative does, though. Why were the felonies reduced, again? If an average joe had done that, they would be looking at a felony, and several years in the slammer. Like this dimwit that did this to Palin.
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:47 pmpoor Chris: reality challenged is no way to go through life…. unless you like being a liberal.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:54 pmWhy were the felonies reduced? Because it was a BS felony case to begin with, and plea bargaining is so commonplace that you would have to be willfully obtuse to not acknowledge that.
JD (9f2abc) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:54 pmLOOK! BUNNIES!
What you think, Chris, and what is reality, only intersect occasionally.
JD (9f2abc) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:59 pmThat was really constructive! Thank you!
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/23/2010 @ 10:03 pmDo you really deny that plea bargains are a routine part of the process in the criminal law system?
JD (9f2abc) — 4/23/2010 @ 10:11 pmDeny?
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/23/2010 @ 10:23 pmChris Hooten:
If that counts as preferential treatment, then I guess it works both ways since David Kernell is the son of a Democratic Tennessee State Representative Mike Kernell. David Kernell is represented in the email hacking case by Wade Davies, a name partner and managing partner in a prominent Nashville law firm. As shown at the last link, Davies’ qualifications are as impressive as his client list and, by sheer coincidence, he has donated money to John Edwards’ campaign.
DRJ (09fa6c) — 4/23/2010 @ 10:24 pmWhat other word would you like for me to use?
JD (9f2abc) — 4/23/2010 @ 10:26 pm“Bunnies”?
😀
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 4/23/2010 @ 10:28 pmDRJ, I thought of that later. I mistakenly used him as an “average joe” which he certainly isn’t. I even said as much in a comment further up.
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/24/2010 @ 1:43 amJD:
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/24/2010 @ 1:45 amOne that accurately describes my actions. I didn’t deny anything about plea bargains, you just decided that I had.
Since you insist on attempting to threadjack your way to idiocy given every opportunity to prove otherwise, you’re Chrissy with The Tinfoil Hat from now on.
Dmac (21311c) — 4/24/2010 @ 8:15 amWhy are you calling me names again? All I’m doing is bringing attention to a subject I deem more important.
Chrissy The Tinfoil Hat Martyr
Dmac (21311c) — 4/24/2010 @ 8:16 amAnd just for the record, I’m a concerned Christian Voter who thinks that O’Keefe’s a racist and that ACORN should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Chrissy The Threadjacker
Dmac (21311c) — 4/24/2010 @ 8:18 amThis email break-in seems like something that happens quite often. Though probably not to a lot of public figures with webmail accounts.
imdw (017d51) — 4/24/2010 @ 8:40 amHooten, stop huffing the WD-40.
PCD (1d8b6d) — 4/24/2010 @ 9:00 amimd-WD40sucker, this little liberal creep is going to the bend-over academy for a long time, as he should. He has no respect for the privacy of his opponents, nor ethics, like YOU!
PCD (1d8b6d) — 4/24/2010 @ 9:02 amWell, I think I agree with what Chris is probably saying: that this hacker and any other convicted folks shouldn’t get a pass because of who their father is.
I don’t have a problem with what O’Keefe’s friends did. That’s because they weren’t bugging or tampering and were really just reporting on a legit act of deception by a powerful member of the government. I don’t have even the tiniest problem with 20/20 style ‘false pretenses’. So any punishment for that alone is too much.
But I agree with the other concept: that if the son of the US Attorney gets some kind of special treatment (and I haven’t seen any evidence of anything like that), that’s wrong.
I’m glad Chris has a problem with the email hacker that is the topic of the thread. That kind of behavior is terrible, and it’s already hard enough to be a family member of anyone who challenges Obama’s power. They play by Chicago rules, as Obama has frequently bragged, not paying back fairly or equally, but “punching back twice as hard”. That’s what happened to Joe the Plumber, that’s what happened to GM dealers who weren’t democrat donors, that’s what happened to the IGs, and that’s what happened to Bristol Palin.
That should be enough reason for liberal democrats to cross the aisle and support the GOP. Some lines shouldn’t be crossed in our society.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 4/24/2010 @ 10:24 am“I don’t think most people get super high power GOP lawyers when in a pickle like this.”
Chris – You should have stopped at “I don’t think” because clearly you’re not thinking this one through or have no experience in these matters. It is common sense to find the best legal representation one can afford – do you think it improves your chances in court to hire inexperienced cut rate counsel? That’s Bradblog libtard conspiracy-thinking you are displaying here Chris. Seriously, take off the blinders, especially for politically motivated hack job prosecution.
daleyrocks (1d0d98) — 4/24/2010 @ 10:42 am