Amero sentencing on (again) for tomorrow

by Grant Robertson Jun 5th 2007

The Norwich Bulletin sharpened its pencil and spat out yet another pro-state's attorney reminder that Julie Amero -- the substitute teacher who's facing 40 years in jail for getting in the way of a deluge of porn pop-ups -- faces sentencing tomorrow.

Using phrases such as, "the case has come under scrutiny from a group of computer experts determined to prove the pop-ups were out of Amero's control" and, "The case has generated interest outside Connecticut" to completely understate the fact that Amero doesn't deserve the injustice she's been put through.

Trust us Julie, anyone who can tell a USB cable from a garden hose is certain that the state -- if they don't postpone your sentencing again -- will come to its senses and back down from its fool-hearty quest to make you the first person sent to jail for stewarding a PC infested with malware.

In case you've forgotten, as this story has progressed it's only gotten weirder:

An outspoken juror proved himself functionally computer illiterate which is no big deal, considering the state police's "computer expert" did as well
The Hartford Current asked if Connecticut was the "Stupidest state in the union" for convicting her
The Norwich Bulletin published the trial transcript, without acknowledging that nearly everything they'd printed about the case up to that point had been complete and total mischaracterisation.
USA Today, CNN and The New York Times joined every tech publication you can name in taking Connecticut to task for its miscarriage of justice.
Loveable curmudgeon John Dvorak used Julie as an example of why the .XXX domain was a good idea

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

James said 7:56AM on 6-06-2007

Want to know why government is irreparably broken? Because when shit like this happens, nobody is held accountable. If a cock-up of this magnitude were to happen in a private corporation, whoever did it would have a boss, and that boss would be livid, and he'd come down and scream in his face and tell him to have his desk packed up in 10 minutes, before security gets there to escort him from the building.

But it's government, and for some reason a year from now the judge and the state's attorney responsible for this abomination will be yukking it up on the golf course smoking big fat stogies. Fix that, and you fix government. I just wish I knew how.

Victor Agreda, Jr. said 8:45AM on 6-06-2007

I'm not so optimistic. For one thing, this is sentencing. Are there mandatory minimums associated with her trumped-up charges? The judge might not even have the sense to clear her record, in which case whatever educational career ambitions she's ever had will crumble, never mind not even being allowed to be a Girl Scout leader. Pretty stiff punishment already for someone who simply fell prey to incompetence in the school system, crappy MS architecture (and complete silence on the case?), and an overzealous, unthinking Executive branch (DA, cops). I wish Johnny Cochran was still alive to take her damages suit.

Colin said 9:44AM on 6-06-2007

You know, this happened at my school a couple months ago. A porn video popped up on the projector when a computer illiterate teacher was giving the class notes on her tablet. She's been joking about it since, and the class was spreading jokes all day. Although, the age of the students in Amero's case is probably why they're all so angry about it.
And nobody's ever been scarred for life for seeing a couple of porn pop-ups, seriously.

James said 11:51AM on 6-06-2007

@#2: "If Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit!"

Awesome.

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