Jezebel: myspace trial

Megan Meier's Mother Talks To Today About MySpace Verdict

Margaret — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST

Tina Meier was on the Today show this morning to discuss last week's verdict in the case against Lori Drew for harassing her daughter on MySpace. Though Drew was only convicted of three misdemeanors, but found not guilty of felony hacking charges, Meier says she still feels going through the trial was worth it. "It is not about vengeance," says Meier, "it's about bringing justice to Megan and all of the kids who have to endure this every single day." Clip above.

Breaking

Jessica — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:40:00 EST

Lori Drew has been found not guilty of felony hacking charges, but was convicted of three misdemeanors, according to Wired. The one charge of conspiracy remains undecided, as the jury was deadlocked on that count. Wired elaborates: "Jurors found Drew guilty only of conspiring to gain unauthorized access to MySpace for the purpose of obtaining information on Megan Meier — a misdemeanor that will likely carry no jail time. The jury unanimously rejected the three computer hacking charges, and a felony conspiracy charge that alleged the unauthorized access was part of a scheme to intentionally inflict emotional distress on Megan." CNN legal analyst Jeffery Toobin says that Drew is likely to get probation and nothing more. There is still a chance that Judge George Wu may throw out the entire case and acquit Drew, as he said he would decide on a defense request after the jury's verdict. [Wired]

MySpace Trial: Jury Is Close To A Verdict

Jessica — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST

Yesterday, at just before 5 p.m. Pacific time, the jury deciding Lori Drew's fate emerged to announce that it had reached a decision on 3 of the 4 counts against the Missouri mom, but were split on the fourth. According to the LA Times, Drew "is charged with three counts of violating federal computer statutes and one count of conspiracy," for creating the fake MySpace account she allegedly used to help torment her daughter's friend, 13-year-old Megan Meier. Wired notes that earlier in the day, the jury asked the judge "to clarify an earlier instruction related to the issue of a 'tortious' act — an act that causes malicious or negligent harm to, in this case, Megan Meier, which is a requirement for finding Drew guilty on the computer fraud charges."

Though the jurors did not indicate which charge they're hung up on, Wired also makes the point that three of the charges are nearly identical, so it's likely that the conspiracy charge is the one they're struggling with. In addition, "Jurors can find Drew guilty of conspiracy if they conclude that she schemed with others in violating MySpace's terms, without necessarily committing a computer crime herself." However, some detractors of Federal prosecutor Thomas O'Brien still believe that Lori Drew should not have been charged in the first place. Reason Magazine's Jacob Sullum says:

The charges did not fit the facts of the case…[O'Brien] never presented any evidence that Drew saw MySpace's Terms Of Service, let alone agreed to them. Furthermore, O'Brien's interpretation of the law would make criminals of us all. Shortly after the indictment, Orin Kerr, a George Washington University law professor who later volunteered as a pro bono attorney for Drew, noted, "Since everyone who uses computers violates dozens of different TOS every day, the theory would make everyone who uses computers a felon."

The jury will reconvene at 9 a.m. to try to hash out that final charge and attempt to reach a unanimous verdict.

Lori Drew Jury Nears Verdict on Three Charges, Struggles With Fourth [Wired]
MySpace Jury Reaches Verdicts On Some Counts [L.A. Times]
Thomas O'Brien's MySpace Hoax [Reason]

Earlier: MySpace Trial, Day 1: Megan Meier's Last Words
MySpace Trial, Day 2: Lori Drew Says, "It's Not Like I Pulled The Trigger"
MySpace Trial, Day 3: Lori Drew's Daughter Speaks
MySpace Trial, Day 4: Sarah Drew Says Megan "Was My Best Friend"