McKinnon Hacker Defense Tactics

An Ex-FBI legal officer who formerly handled Gary McKinnon's plea bargain negotiations has severely denounced the controversial defense tactics employed by the cyber invader's legal representatives.

Ed Gibson (a former FBI assistant legal who eventually became Microsoft's United Kingdom Chief Security Advisor about four years ago) stated that if the admitted hacker (who breached into United States military systems several years ago) had agreed to voluntary hand himself over to American authorities when he was offered the choice back in 2003, he would have already been out of jail by 2005 instead of facing extradition in 2009.

Gibson reckons that the defense team's belief that their client will face up to sixty years of jail time once he's extradited to the US is preposterous and nonsensical.

The ex-FBI officer even half-joked during Tuesday's RSA Europe Conference in London that Karen Todner (McKinnon's lawyer) should be tried for human rights violations because of her supposed mishandling of the McKinnon case; for all intents and purposes, her floundering defense tactics may have needlessly and pointlessly lengthened McKinnon's cyber crime troubles.

UFO Hacker on Trial for exposing NASA secrets

Thirty or so people were present for the "Balance of Browser Security and Settings" presentation, which was where Gibson made his thoughts known about the current direction of McKinnon's legal situation.

His candidness surprised most everyone present who knew him.

After all, the man was usually a conscientious and tactful senior executive who'd repeatedly declined to talk about his role in the McKinnon case in the past.

During the discussion, Gibson even asked his audience to raise their hands if they thought McKinnon should be spared extradition.

One of the people who were against the proposed banishment responded to Gibson's request for an explanation by stating that the Asperger-suffering McKinnon should be tried domestically because of his genetic condition.

Gibson debated with the fellow by noting that the local authorities themselves refused to try McKinnon.

He afterwards reckoned that the defense team's continuous series of attempts to keep McKinnon in the UK is ultimately an exercise in futility.

Arguably, the UFO hacker has unnecessarily dug himself a legal rabbit hole so deep that he could potentially face consequences more dire than the one dreamed up by his legal team.