Breaking - jurors reported they have reached a verdict on 3 of 4 charges in Palin hacking trial

knoxville news ^ | April 29, 2010 | Jim Balloch

[Bigtigermike]

KNOXVILLE - Federal court jurors reported today they have reached a verdict on three of four charges against former University of Tennessee student David C. Kernell, accused of illegally accessing the private e-mail account of 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

But they also reported they are deadlocked on the first count, a charge of identity theft.

Without asking what their verdict is on the other counts, U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Phillips sent them back to the jury room to continue deliberating the first count.

In their written communication to the judge this afternoon, the jurors said: "Some of us feel not all jurors are following the jury instruction."

On its third morning of deliberations, the East Tennessee jury pondering charges against Kernell asked to review a federal law addressing identity theft. That's the count on which the jurors deadlocked.

After some discussion with lawyers, Phillips decided today to give them a copy of the law - with some sections blacked out that he said are irrelevant to the case.

Jurors then indicated they wished to go to lunch. The panel is expected to resume deliberations at 1 p.m. today.

[SallyH]

“Quick verdicts usually mean guilty.”

To the contrary. Quick verdicts usually indicate NOT guilty. When the verdict is guilty, a great deal of time is usually spent in fixing the punishment.

[Gay State Conservative]

This goober walks, just watch.

In Tennessee? Don't be so sure.

[jerri]

I was on a civil jury and some of the people would not follow the judges instructions. They went into the trial with their minds made up.

[SeaHawkFan]

Except in death penalty cases, the judge determines the punishment.

[truth_seeker]

“...the OJ jury was toying with the prosecution, making them think they had convicted him when in reality, some raised the “Black power” salute when they got into the room..a quick verdict doesn’t necessarily mean guilty.”

Watched and read about it start to finish, but I missed the black power salute.

Therefore could you provide a reference? Thanks.

[w1andsodidwe]

I disagree. I have been on four juries and all except one were just a couple hours. One was a murder, one was drugs and one was petty theft. We came in guilty on the murder and drug. The petty theft we found innocent of all charges except resisting arrest, but we believed he probably did it, but we needed evidence.

The fourth was a civil case. In California we only needed 9 of 12, and we had trouble getting the 9th juror the agree to guilt, but there is a lessor standard of proof and that can take longer to dig through.

[ETL]

Sarah Palin: Yahoo email hack was 'devastating' to campaign

Sam Gustin
Nov 20, 2009

"Of all the slings and arrows Sarah Palin suffered on the campaign trail, perhaps the "most disruptive and discouraging" was having her email account hacked into, the one-time vice presidential candidate writes in her new book, Going Rogue: An American Life. She echoed that sentiment in an interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity broadcast Wednesday night. At the height of the presidential campaign, a 20-year-old University of Tennessee student hacked into Palin's Yahoo email account and posted it online."

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/11/20/sarah-palin-yahoo-email-hack-was-devastating-to-campaign/

[who knows what evil?]

He hacked into the account of a candidate for Vice-President of the United States...he needs to serve a few years, at the very least. Send a message to others who harbor ill intent...

[ETL]

From the posted article:

“Formal charges against Kernell, 22, 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.”

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/apr/29/palin-jury-begins-3rd-day-e-mail-trial-deliberatio/

[Sarah Barracuda]

Yeah, it was right when they came out of the jury room, I remember it clear as day. Was SO pissed when that verdict came down..one guy did the black power salute and thats when the Prosecution knew they lost

[ETL]

He hacked into the account of a candidate for Vice-President of the United States...he needs to serve a few years

I agree, although it was careless of Palin, a very public figure, to provide factual info in her password backup question and answer. The feature is meant to allow you to regain access to your account if you forget your password. Yahoo and other websites don't care if the info is accurate or not. The "answer" could even be a string of keyboard nonsensical characters like in the original password.

[ETL]

keyboard nonsensical characters = nonsensical keyboard characters

[nevergore]

Two wrongs don’t make a right....

I agree if the kid was Republican the book would be thrown at him.....or at least they would try....but at the end of the day he’s just a kid (albiet a stupid one), not a political pawn....

[teletech]

I bet this RAT BRAT will not see one day in jail. (sigh)

[afraidfortherepublic]

THe article said that they had AGREED on 3 counts — not that they found him guilty.

[Chode]

it must certainly can financially encumber her and HAS done just exactly that the second she had to hire a lawyer...

[AnAmericanMother]

Cite ‘em.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

‘I think I might ignore the jury instructions on that one’

So the judge will throw out your verdict, based on the law..

[P-Marlowe]

So the judge will throw out your verdict, based on the law..

He can't throw out a NOT GUILTY verdict.

and quite frankly my dear, I don't give a damn if I find some perp guilty and the judge throws it out because I didn't follow his silly instructions which would have gotten him off anyway.

That's a decision the judge will have to live with. I'm voting my conscience and to hell with any stupid jury instructions.