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U.S. ends webcam probe; no charges
Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 08/17/2010 | John P. Martin

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 ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: arth; laptops; lowermerion; webcam
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1 posted on 08/18/2010 4:11:09 AM PDT by Kid Shelleen
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To: Kid Shelleen

Camel now has his eye in the tent.


2 posted on 08/18/2010 4:14:27 AM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast
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To: Kid Shelleen

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.


3 posted on 08/18/2010 4:15:13 AM PDT by JerseyHighlander
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To: Kid Shelleen

I imagine the teacher’s union had something to do with this being dropped. Payback from the union thug leader in the white house.


4 posted on 08/18/2010 4:17:19 AM PDT by JudyinCanada
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To: Kid Shelleen
Gotta love them webcams.


5 posted on 08/18/2010 4:17:21 AM PDT by paulycy (Demand Constitutionality Now: Islamo-Marxism is Evil.)
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To: Kid Shelleen

???

Gee offîcer, I didn’t INTEND to break the law when I spied on that young teenager changing in her bedroom ...


6 posted on 08/18/2010 4:21:07 AM PDT by An.American.Expatriate (Here's my strategy on the War against Terrorism: We win, they lose. - with apologies to R.R.)
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To: Kid Shelleen

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.


7 posted on 08/18/2010 4:27:17 AM PDT by Ghost of Philip Marlowe (Prepare for survival.)
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To: Kid Shelleen
Rod Blagovich
8 posted on 08/18/2010 4:37:03 AM PDT by trustandobey (GOD BLESS AMERICA AGAIN!)
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To: Kid Shelleen

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?


9 posted on 08/18/2010 4:39:39 AM PDT by Haiku Guy (You can force me to recycle, but I will NOT sing the song!)
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To: Kid Shelleen

This story highlights the most valuable use for a half-inch of electrical tape. Just cover the damned lens.


10 posted on 08/18/2010 4:42:17 AM PDT by muir_redwoods (Obama. Chauncey Gardiner without the homburg.)
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To: Kid Shelleen
...they found no evidence that anyone intentionally committed a crime.

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.

11 posted on 08/18/2010 5:01:03 AM PDT by ThunderSleeps (obama out now! I'll keep my money, my guns, and my freedom - you can keep the change.)
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To: Haiku Guy
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?

'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)

12 posted on 08/18/2010 5:11:53 AM PDT by 6SJ7 (atlasShruggedInd = TRUE)
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To: Kid Shelleen
"For the government to prosecute a criminal case, it must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person charged acted with criminal intent"

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.

13 posted on 08/18/2010 5:15:07 AM PDT by Durus (The People have abdicated our duties and anxiously hopes for just two things, "Bread and Circuses")
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To: 6SJ7

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.


14 posted on 08/18/2010 5:17:11 AM PDT by Haiku Guy (You can force me to recycle, but I will NOT sing the song!)
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To: muir_redwoods
This story highlights the most valuable use for a half-inch of electrical tape. Just cover the damned lens.

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.

15 posted on 08/18/2010 5:19:24 AM PDT by Haiku Guy (You can force me to recycle, but I will NOT sing the song!)
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To: Haiku Guy
As much as I would like to disagree with you I can't.

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16 posted on 08/18/2010 5:21:45 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: 2Jedismom; 6amgelsmama; AAABEST; aberaussie; Aggie Mama; agrace; AliVeritas; AlmaKing; AngieGal; ...

ANOTHER REASON TO HOMESCHOOL

This ping list is for the “other” articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. This can occasionally be a fairly high volume list. Articles pinged to the Another Reason to Homeschool List will be given the keyword of ARTH. (If I remember. If I forget, please feel free to add it yourself) The main Homeschool Ping List handles the homeschool-specific articles. I hold both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping list. Please freepmail me to let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from either list, or both.

I have taken over the ARTH and the standard homeschool pinglist. Please ping me to any articles of interest!

17 posted on 08/18/2010 5:28:43 AM PDT by JenB
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To: ThunderSleeps

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!


18 posted on 08/18/2010 5:32:19 AM PDT by Liberty Ship ("Lord, make me fast and accurate.")
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To: Haiku Guy

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.


19 posted on 08/18/2010 5:32:35 AM PDT by JenB
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To: Kid Shelleen

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.


20 posted on 08/18/2010 5:33:12 AM PDT by tanknetter
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