In the old days of colonialism, a person who committed a crime in a colony was taken back to the home country, where presumably they would get a more sympathetic hearing. Today, this is a twist on the old legal principle.
In cyberspace, where is the crime?
Gary McKinnon is accused of causing $961,000 worth of damage to computers by hacking into the Pentagon, NASA, and U.S. military systems. McKinnon, an ex-systems administrator allegedly conducted the largest military hack of all time. He won the right to have his case against extradition to the U.S. heard by the U.K. House of Lords.
McKinnon maintains that the alleged offenses took place in the U.K. and that is where he should stand trial.
He could face a life sentence in jail with no chance of repatriation if he is extradited to the U.S.
The U.S. may be particularly adamant about prosecution since McKinnon hacked he systems shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The U.S. government may want to make an example of him as a warning to would be or potential terrorists.
That deterrent seems specious but I suppose he could be useful to analyze what he did to probe weaknesses in U.S. defense, goodness knows they are chronic.
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