Delays In Unlocking Cellphones Seized In Inauguration Day Protests? (buzzfeed.com)

Cellphone data may play a key role in prosecuting people arrested at inauguration day protests, according to an article shared by Slashdot reader Mosquito Bites. A U.S. attorney acknowledged that "the government recovered cell phones from more than 100 indicted defendants and other un-indicted arrested" in a filing last March, adding "The government is in the process of extracting data from the Rioter Cell Phones pursuant to lawfully issued search warrants, and expects to be in a position to produce all of the data from the searchers Rioter Cell Phones in the next several weeks."

But 11 weeks later, it's a different story. Prosecutors "have provided defense lawyers with access to hundreds of hours of video footage from January 20, but have yet to turn over data extracted from more than 100 cell phones seized during the arrests, according to lawyers who spoke with BuzzFeed News." In addition, they report that now more than half the 200-plus defendants "are vowing not to cooperate with prosecutors, even in the face of a new set of felony charges that carry stiff maximum prison sentences."

Comments

wait, what?

[Anonymous Coward]

more than half the 200-plus defendants "are vowing not to cooperate with prosecutors

Why would anyone cooperate with their prosecution?

Do I misunderstand something here? Typically you cooperate with your defence and are adversarial with your prosecution, no?

Re: wait, what?

[Anonymous Coward]

In the same way that millennials can be both male and female at the same time, they can self-identify as prosecutors while being defendents.

Re:wait, what?

[ShanghaiBill]

Why would anyone cooperate with their prosecution?

Because even if you have done nothing wrong, government prosecutors can threaten you with bogus charges and bankrupt you with legal expenses. So they offer you a plea deal to rat on other protestors, and if you got nothin' on anyone else, you will need to make something up. Meanwhile, those other protestors are being offered deals to rat on you. The loser is the guy that holds out the longest out of a misguided sense of honor.

Re: wait, what?

[lucm]

they can self-identify as prosecutors while being defendents.

Let's be clear: defendents that identify as prosecutors cannot understand the burden of prosecutors as well as prosecutor-born prosecutors. They shouldn't be allowed to invade the space created for those who have been prosecutors over the course of a lifetime; access to this space should be granted according to experience, not identity.

That's why there should be only two kinds of courtrooms; one for the prosecutor-born prosecutors, and one for everyone else. Obviously the defendents, cisdefendents and self-identifying defendents don't need dedicated courtrooms since they have experienced a life of privilege.

Re:Bad Planning

[markdavis]

>"Seriously, if you're going to participate or be part of the leadership of an organized protest, consider all your "command and control" participants use - get this! - "burner phones", and then at some point, ditch them."

Or better yet, protest but don't break the law...

NOT that I am excusing this ridiculous delay in getting their phones back because it is wrong. But something tells me that is pretty typical nowadays for any phone seized during an arrest in which they want data, too.

Re:The Freedom to Choose

[Anonymous Coward]

It's always interesting to note that it's been Republicans who have sought to impeach Democrats for specious and unfounded reasons that are actually based on their own political partisanship, yet somehow can't even recognize the amoral scum they've embraced is bad for them, it's like they don't know they really should demonstrate their vaunted love of moral integrity every now and again.

It's like the political party doesn't know they need to keep their own house in order, not just praise every arsonist thug who wears their preferred T-Shirt and shouts the right sounding words. Or tweets. Without you know, actually managing a coherent sentence, but who cares about that?

Re: a matter of kettle

[KGIII]

Huh... Thanks.

I dislike Trump. I sure as hell didn't vote for him.

Imma let you in on a secret. I don't wish him any malice and I hope he is an effective president. I am as far left as you can get, while still being rational. I don't even hate Trump. I am more disgusted with the media, and the sycophants, than I am with Trump.

If you're on the right, I am sorry for what they do in my name. I am the real American left.

Sorry for their behavior. Please don't blame me. At the root level, you and I want the same things, probably.