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?

[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: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?