Thanks for the link. According to it, she had "34 top secret documents stolen from her office in Washington". That doesn't sound like she had a right to have them in her purse. I have worked plenty of classified programs - and you don't just carry top secret documents around!
Circumstantial is often used as a euphamism for 'weak'. The FBI had a great case. From the facts in the link you provided, I don't see how ANYONE could excuse this spy. And while the author in question did admit her guilt, he also seemed to have thought the case was weak.
I'll tell you, if I came home with Top Secret documents, I'd spend a lot more time in jail than this woman did - even if I then took them back.
Indeed. There is a bit of a difference between having a "right to the documents" and carrying same around in your purse.