Federal judge sets April 20 trial date in Palin hacking case

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Barring any further delaying tactics by his attorneys, a University of Tennessee student accused of hacking the personal e-mail of Sarah Palin will face trial April 20:

U.S. Magistrate Clifford Shirley set the date Wednesday at a motions hearing in the case of 22-year-old David C. Kernell. He is accused of gaining access to Palin's account in September 2008 by correctly answering a series of personal security questions. He has pleaded not guilty.

Kernell is the son of state Rep. Michael Kernell (D-Memphis).

Update: Well, we did say, "barring any further delaying tactics by his attorneys." And so, as Knoxville News Sentinel Nashville bureau chief Tom Humphrey reports, Kernell's lawyer Wade Davies is now challenging the federal judge's authority to issue search warrants for Internet companies outside Tennessee. Davies is trying to keep any evidence obtained from Yahoo! and other Internet providers from being introduced in the case.

- JP