Filed under: Internet, Security, News
Amero sentencing delayed yet again
Oh brother, this is getting to be routine. Julie Amero has hung in limbo since January waiting for the Connecticut DA to either put up ( and put her away for up to 40 years ) or shut up and let her return to picking up the pieces of her shattered life. Her conviction on 4 felony counts came after an unprotected classroom computer running Windows 98 began spewing porn pop-ups. The continuous postponements have helped to quiet the media frenzy around the case, something we're sure Connecticut's state legal professionals are all thankful for. For a while it looked as if legions of IT pros might descend on Connecticut like a plague of locusts however, short attention span syndrome has pushed the case to somewhere below, "iPhone.. ooh, shinny" on the radar of most geeks.
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kevin Little said 12:19PM on 5-18-2007
This is so sad. An innocent person being held criminally liable for porn spam. This is a dangerous thing that can be used to hurt anyone who dares turn on a computer.
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Rich D said 1:33PM on 5-18-2007
Thisis acase I've been watching for quite some time. It is, in my mind a clear miscarriage of justice that the case even got as far as court, let alone a conviction. As a network administrator I know the buck stops with me should something like this happen. I'm just thankful that I a) don't work in a school, no minors in my work environment. and b) I live in the UK where this kind of thing just couldn't happen... or so I thought 'till I read this
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007220614,00.html
So much for online Britain!
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GP said 1:43PM on 5-18-2007
They shouldn't just let it blow over. They need to go ahead and sentance her so she can appeal the conviction. Until that time, she still has a felony conviction on her record which could truly adversly affect her for the rest of her life. At leas if she can appeal and have the conviction overturned, her record will be expunged.
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Ryan D. said 8:36PM on 5-18-2007
As a teacher, I definately feel for Amero. Though I'm computer literate enough to know what to click and what not to, and I when my students are on the computer, I'm hovering over their shoulders at all times. Students are sneaky, and they will do their best to bring up smut and warez on a school computer...The teachers just need to be more aware that this indeed goes on.
I don't blame the school, Amero, or the principal..I blame the student who brought the pop-ups up in the first place...Anyone under 30 worth a grain of salt knows what they're doing when it comes to a computer. I'm sure the student at the computer knew what he/she was clicking on...You don't click a banner with a pair of breasts and expect to do some purse shopping.
I'm also lucky enough to work in a district with a very strict internet filter...I had to go to the board with a plea to bring back Google Images after it was filtered. One email from Google's support team and I was able to convince the district to bring it back...With "Strict Safe Search," of course.
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James said 5:17PM on 5-18-2007
It's times like this were I wish that victims of gross miscarriages of justice like this one could counter-sue all the individuals involved in screwing them over and ruin *their* lives -- for one thing, the next thing the public heard out of Mike Nifong's mouth would be "Welcome to Wal-Mart". That would be beautiful.
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Leah Jewel said 1:42AM on 5-19-2007
This is definitely a story to watch! Amazingly Unbelievable! I'm just in totally awe at how we can sit back and allow this to go on!
LeahJewel1@yahoo.com
http://GetRichFromHome.blogspot.com
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BHSPitMonkey said 12:54AM on 5-19-2007
GP:
An appeal only takes into consideration procedural wrongdoings in the original trial itself; it doesn't reconsider any facts or judgments made about the accused.
This isn't a mistrial we have here; it's the manifesting of ignorance and idiocy with power, in persecution and destruction of an innocent woman's life.
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kendrew said 12:57AM on 5-19-2007
@Ryan: I believe the thing was that there was spyware and adware on the computer and porn popped up because of it. It wasn't because of someone clicking on it... so basically she's being charged because of the computers inadequate security, and being blamed for it even though it's not even hers.
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Ydef said 1:20AM on 5-19-2007
Yes, but her best chance stands at a successful petition to the governor of Conneticut for a pardon, but that of course first requires her to be sentenced, and the moral outrage causing the flood of signatures of petition to the governor.
That all can't happen until she's sentenced. Which brings up a curious point. Would it be better for a sympathetic judge to give her the harshest punishment possible to draw the most attention to its absurdity and increase the chances for an expedient and fair resolution, or give her the lightest sentence possible where the non-severity of the punishment would not engender the same kind of outrage, but would threaten to stick her with the felonies for the rest of her life?
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Larry said 1:37AM on 5-19-2007
I say it's Microsoft's fault for not providing adequate protection for the school computer. I am quite confident that if the computer system were running on Linux or Mac, it's highly unlikely that such things will happen. On top of that if the school bought Microsoft's product, it's Microsoft's responsibility to provide protection for its customer. If anyone is liable here it's the porn industry but to a greater extent, Microsoft.
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thelordofcheese said 12:49PM on 5-23-2007
I couldn't care less about the iPhone. This has been on my mind since day 1. I think the reason they keep delaying is because I would drive the 8 or so hours to be there as an accredited expert witness. I would disrupt the proceedings. I would breach the peace and have contempt for the court. They certainly have dashed her piece and shown contempt for innocence.
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Ian said 11:54AM on 5-19-2007
If The Ct Court think the media noise will die down in time, wait until they actually carry out a sentencing! The whole Justice Sytem in the State will be a National laughing stock. Make that "international".
My best bet is that the Court is now looking for a way out of this seemingly ridiculous prosecution w/o the indignity of completing sentencing. Problem right now is that it's also "cruel and unusual punishment" for the teacher.
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Jamar said 11:17AM on 5-22-2007
I imagine that the Engadget case (where their news posting made Apple stock dip momentarily) took everyone's attention away from this case.
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