Palin e-mail hacker trial update

Remember David Kernell? The 21-year-old son of Tennessee state Democrat Representative Mike Kernell was indicted by a federal grand jury in Knoxville last October after being charged with hacking into then GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's personal e-mail account. Kernell the younger, who was just 20 then, was charged by the grand jury for breaking into the account, making screenshots of the contents, posting them on a public website, resetting Palin's password and posting both the screenshots and the new password on a public website so that others could access the account.

Yes, that David Kernell. His lawyer Wade Davies has been seeking "a host of records and information" from Gov. Palin and her administration on behalf of his client, a student at the University of Tennessee who gives a whole new meaning to "Volunteers" - the school's mascot. Davies told Judge Clifford Shirley that Gov. Palin's announcement July 3 that she would resign before the end of the month heightens the sense of urgency of his requests for the records.

The judge told Davies that he was asking for too much information and must limit his requests. Kernell's lawyers are after "anything showing whether Palin followed privacy procedures recommended by Yahoo, as well as information on who in Alaska state government could use private e-mail accounts for state business." The defense team, in other words, wants to make it seem like it is Sarah Palin's fault that the angelic young Kernell was able to get into her e-mail account because she made it too easy for him to do it. By some strange coincidence, this same argument can be found on many anti-Palin Democrat websites. Poor, innocent little David is the victim here, and it's all the fault of "that woman." One problem for the young Democrat operative is that the judge doesn't seem to be buying it.

Here are some related links:

PDF copy of the proposed subpoena for Gov. Palin's records
PDF copy of Kernell attorney's motion requesting the subpoena
PDF copy of federal prosecutor's response to Davies' request
PDF copy of Federal Grand Jury indictment of David Kernell
PDF copy of DOJ news release announcing the indictment

h/t: Right Voices, knoxnews.com

- JP