What should Julian Assange be charged with?

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Interesting how no Clinton era papers are on this release. Pretty benign stuff anyway.

You're right... it jumps from 1990 to 2003... interesting.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I would say some of this falls under national defense.

Even if you don't buy that argument, there's 18 U.S.C. § 798, which makes it unlawful to publish classified information, specifically, "concerning the communication intelligence activities of the
United States or any foreign government".

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

The state shouldn't exist?  Pure anarchy doesn't work.

Well it does, but that's not the pertinent issue here. Let's focus on why the State is addicted to committing crimes and then arresting people for exposing said crimes.

What crimes were committed as evidenced by this release of documents?

Well, here is an interesting question.

Somebody sends me a secret document, directly, in the mail.  I scan it, and place it online.  I probably can't be charged with espionage.

Maybe, publishing secret documents, but what if it's from China?  I have not broken any US laws.  Do I have an obligation to obey the laws of another country that I've never visited?  I didn't hack a computer in China; I was just sitting in my house when the mail showed up.

If it's a document that's property of the U.S., you can be charged.  That doesn't mean you'll be extradited...

For what?  The document showed up.  I didn't steal it?

That doesn't matter.  Both 18 U.S.C. § 798 and 793 have sections that say you can be charged for either posession or even the transmission and/ or publication of classified documents.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

The state shouldn't exist?  Pure anarchy doesn't work.

Well it does, but that's not the pertinent issue here. Let's focus on why the State is addicted to committing crimes and then arresting people for exposing said crimes.

What crimes were committed as evidenced by this release of documents?

Well, here is an interesting question.

Somebody sends me a secret document, directly, in the mail.  I scan it, and place it online.  I probably can't be charged with espionage.

Maybe, publishing secret documents, but what if it's from China?  I have not broken any US laws.  Do I have an obligation to obey the laws of another country that I've never visited?  I didn't hack a computer in China; I was just sitting in my house when the mail showed up.

If it's a document that's property of the U.S., you can be charged.  That doesn't mean you'll be extradited...

For what?  The document showed up.  I didn't steal it?

That doesn't matter.  Both 18 U.S.C. § 798 and 793 have sections that say you can be charged for either posession or even the transmission and/ or publication of classified documents.

And I think that's going to be your first amendment issue.

Even if he argues that, he can still be charged under 793 for conspiracy to commit (although there's no ctc clause in 798).

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

And that may happen.  I'm not going to speculate as to what the Court would do here, but I do think that he could at least be charged under one of the statutes I noted.  Now, could it be challenged?  Of course.  I just don't know which way the SCOTUS would decide.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I believe whoever is leaking things to him is probably breaking his NDA that he signed.

And I'm not content to think it's some lowly service man leaking it.......I think he has a very high placed source.

Maybe they figured out Biden's password?  "coke&hookers123" or something, probably.

I'd like to think it's "thisisabigf****ingpassword"

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Inks, what should the newspapers who publish or link to wikileaks get charged with?

Link to... nothing.

Publish.  They could at least be charged with Section 798 (assuming what they publish was part of one of the classified documents... not everything Assange released was classified).

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Glenn Beck is defending Assange against the alleged rape charges (which, even I'll admit are shady AT BEST)... but this is kinda weird.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Glenn Beck is defending Assange against the alleged rape charges (which, even I'll admit are shady AT BEST)... but this is kinda weird.

Well, I heard on the internet that Glenn Beck raped and murdered a young woman in 1990, so this isn't surprising.

Well, I heard 9/11 was an inside job, and that you can charge an ipod with an onion.

For the record: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/glenn-beck-rape-murder-hoax