Co-founder of reddit Aaron Swartz hanged himself. The 26 year old was struggling with depression and the fear of decades in prison over what amounts to ‘checking out millions of library books‘.
I signed this petition:
Remove United States District Attorney Carmen Ortiz from office for overreach in the case of Aaron Swartz.
It is too late to do anything for Aaron Swartz, but those who used the powers granted to them by their office to hound him into a position where he was facing a ruinous trial, life in prison and the ignominy and shame of being a convicted felon; for an alleged crime that the supposed victims did not wish to prosecute.
A prosecutor who does not understand proportionality and who regularly uses the threat of unjust and overreaching charges to extort plea bargains from defendants regardless of their guilt is a danger to the life and liberty of anyone who might cross her path.
I signed it just after the 7,000 mark. It still has a way to go before prompting an official response from the White House.