Posted on 08/18/2010 4:11:07 AM PDT by Kid Shelleen
Federal prosecutors on Tuesday closed their investigation into Lower Merion School District's secret use of software to track student laptops, saying they found no evidence that anyone intentionally committed a crime.
The decision, announced by U.S. Attorney Zane Memeger, ended a six-month probe by the FBI into allegations that district employees might have spied on students through webcams on their school-issued laptops. --snip-- "For the government to prosecute a criminal case, it must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person charged acted with criminal intent," his statement said. "We have not found evidence that would establish beyond a reasonable doubt that anyone involved had criminal intent."
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
Camel now has his eye in the tent.
This is an insane coverup that will not be left to stand. The mere RFP for the contract to purchase the hardware and install the software is clear intent to commit a massive amount of felonies. Every action after that is commission of the crime.
I imagine the teacher’s union had something to do with this being dropped. Payback from the union thug leader in the white house.
???
Gee offîcer, I didn’t INTEND to break the law when I spied on that young teenager changing in her bedroom ...
Of course.
It’s the NEA spying on the citizenry.
And the NEA is the union arm of the government-run schools.
So, of course when the government investigates its own employees in its own monopolistic failure called the public school system, they’ll find nothing wrong with SPYING ON THE CITIZENRY.
Now the Patriot Act, THAT the left and the NEA will scream their heads off about. Because THAT’S an invasion of privacy.
If you are going to accept a government issued camera, take it home, set it up in your bedroom and connect it to the Internet on a government issued account, how can you object when the government turns the stupid thing on?
This story highlights the most valuable use for a half-inch of electrical tape. Just cover the damned lens.
Oh, so they only accidentally committed a crime. Well, that's different. Part of our buddies in the teachers union, so we'll cut them some slack.
So, no more involuntary manslaughter charges, ever? No more negligent anything? This decision stinks of cover-up and Chicago style back-room deals, taking care of friends.
'Smith!' screamed the shrewish voice from the telescreen. '6079 Smith W.! Yes, you! Bend lower, please! You can do better than that. You're not trying. Lower, please! That's better, comrade. Now stand at ease, the whole squad, and watch me.'
(1984)
This is simply not true. Proving intent has never been, and cannot be, a reasonable legal standard. Proving GUILT beyond a reasonable doubt (regardless of intent) has always been the legal standard. Proving "intent" is always impossible unless the court has a mind reading device that I'm not aware of.
One would expect a U.S. Attorney to be aware of the foundation of prosecution, but perhaps I'm being overly picky.
The difference being that in Oceana, INGSOC forced every member of the Party to have a Telescreen in their room. If you so much as tried to turn it off, you were disappeared...
These morons are accepting their Telescreens voluntarily.
I have about six web-cams in my house, on various devices. I never use any of them, so they are all covered. If I ever have a cause to use them, it is easy enough to remove the tape.
I have taken over the ARTH and the standard homeschool pinglist. Please ping me to any articles of interest!
Right. For those of us who DON’T work for the government, it seems as if intent has been completely removed from the equation.
Do not, for example, forget that your legally carried firearm is in your briefcase when you try to get on a plane, regardless of the fact you have a CCW!
Actually in this case, the students were required to use the school provided notebooks, take them home, and in at least one case a student got in trouble for putting a sticky note over top of the camera bit.
I would imagine that, although the criminal case has been dropped, the family involved will be able to file a nice big civil suit and either get a nice big out-of-court settlement or an even better jury award.
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