Now in its third morning of deliberations, the East Tennessee jury pondering charges against alleged e-mail snoop David C. Kernell requested a copy of the federal law governing identity theft so they could review it:
After some discussion with lawyers, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas W. Phillips decided today to give them a copy of the law - with some sections blacked out that he said are irrelevant to the case.- JP
Jurors then indicated they wished to go to lunch. The panel is expected to resume deliberations at 1 p.m. today.
Kernell, 22, a former University of Tennessee student, is charged with illegally accessing the personal e-mail account of 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Formal charges consist of identity theft, wire fraud, unlawfully obtaining information from a protected computer, and destruction of records to hamper a federal investigation, all of which are felonies.
Only the third count includes a lesser misdemeanor charge as an option for the jurors.
They've been deliberating the case since Tuesday morning.
No comments:
Post a Comment