Talk to me about the Gary McKinnon case

[Bumperslucious]

Article here. Chap with Aspergers is to be extradited for hacking into US Government/Military computers. Many people are up in arms about this and I am not sure what the main problem is. Is it:

1. That he shouldn't be extradited because he has Aspergers?
   
2. That he didn't really commit a crime?
   
3. That he didn't commit a crime in the US so why extradite him? I wonder if international laws are going to have to adapt to the Internet Age where locations can be remote from the crime.
   
4. That apparently the extradition agreement between the US is one sided (I don't know enough about it).
   
5. That he was just 'harmlessly' looking for UFO stuff, so intent was not malicious.
   
   I would appreciate someone explaining the situation to me because as far as I can see the guy hacked in to Government classified files in the US which is illegal. Presumably his Aspergers doesn't mean he cannot understand right and wrong, and the fact that he was just a 'UFO hunter' is neither here or there, he broke the law. I'm not sure what to think?

[luckylady74]

I appreciate your point - I just think the potential punishment should take his condition into account- not that there should be no punishment. I think the extradition order should also take into account his condition. I'll be very interested to hear your points later

[PeachyTheRiverParrettHarlot]

SMC I do agree that a dx shouldn't cause someone toescape culpability but it should place people in a different system

Consider someone with a psychiatric disorder who kills someone, if they should recover they will be released. Why then would we even think about deporting someone who did no actual harm to a Country that would incarcerate someone with an ASD for the remainder of their life? Massively disproportionate.

If ds1 harms anyone (and in all honesty I would expect that to happen) I expect him to be dealt with, but as a person with ASD and placed into an appropriate environment rather than a prison full of people who chose their lifestyles and criminal actions.

there's a difference between guilt and intention, especially when people with obsessions, lack of empathy and poor understanding of social situations (a big cause for ds1- he feels in mortal danger or threatened by very innocent occurances) are involved.

[bruffin]

"It is my opinion that Gary McKinnon is unlikely to have Aspergers. This is based on the fact that he only discovered he had it once he was caught doing a crime that could land him 60 years in the nick."

I thought he was finally diagnosed because after a television appearance several experts in Autism contacted his family saying that he should look for a diagnosis.

[bruffin]

Also this case is local to us and has been in the local papers for years. DH pointed out ages ago if he managed to break into the US computer system, they should be employing him not hounding him!