Excerpts from internet.cypherpunks: 25-Jan-96 Bernie S. Sentencing by Dan Bailey@milliways.org
I just found out that Bernie S. will be sentenced this Friday morning at 9 am in Easton, PA for the crime of removing batteries from a tone dialer several years ago. This is defined as a victimless misdemeanor for which the judge in this small town (under considerable influence from the Secret Service) set bail at $250,000. He could get two years in prison at sentencing. Press attention could be very helpful in avoiding a sentence as irrational as the bail setting - right now the only influence these people are getting is from the Secret Service and they want to put Bernie S away for as long as they can. If you're not entirely up to date on this story, finger bernies@2600.com for all of the details.
I've contacted an editor I know at the Allentown Morning Call (the major newspaper in the Easton, PA area) and a staffwriter I know at the Philadelphia Inquirer. No word from the Inquirer yet, but the Morning Call seems interested -- email me for the editor's email address/phone number. Other folks can probably give better background than I can. -Declan