Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Wow, guess it's a good thing our courts love corrupt cops more than they hate everyone else?

What this guy did is one of the very few things that someone should actually get hit with the CFAA for. He abused access to police databases as a cop but he's off the hook because even though he was explicitly not allowed to do so, he was able to (as in, the system did not intend to prevent it). I guess if that's what it takes to narrow this bad law, fine!




He can be prosecuted under any number of other laws, but the CFAA was not one of them. Has nothing to do with corrupt, or otherwise, cops.

So SCOTUS just ruled that this is not "one of the very few things that someone should actually get hit with the CFAA for".

He was bribed to do something he is explicitly not allowed to do, so he accepted a bribe (crime).

He provided information to someone not authorized to receive it that he is explicitly not allowed to do (crime).

He did it over the phone, so wire fraud (crime).

etc.


Abuse of power and CFAA violations aren't the same thing. Not that the former is not rampant in the US and among the police in particular...


It sure looks like it. I wonder if we can get any other unjust laws overturned this way? With a single FBI sting that tricks a cop into smoking weed on camera, we could end the drug war!


Murdoc's tabloids will love this




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: