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I don't have time to go over the several dozen Aaron-related posts or HN threads from today until tomorrow to provide cites, but many of Aaron's posts linked to

by rprasad 14y ago

I don't have time to go over the several dozen Aaron-related posts or HN threads from today until tomorrow to provide cites, but many of Aaron's posts linked to on HN (including, especially the Batman post) display many signs of severe clinical depression. I'm not a doctor, so I'm not saying that he did kill himself as a result of a medical illness with any degree of certainty. But I am saying, based on my past experience representing defendants with mental illness, that it probably played a role in his suicide. Also, the family does not say anything that disagrees with what I said. They state merely that the criminal case "contributed to" Aaron's death. That is an actual quote from [1].

mgunes 14y ago
> merely That's some rather selective reading on your part. You ignore the context in his mother's statement on HN that he was "depressed about the case and the upcoming trial" (indicating perhaps that his depression and the pressure brought by the indictment are inseparable), and cherry-pick a particular sentence to support your own view, rather than try to hear the tone and spirit of the statement. The fact that the family chose to come forward with such a clear and bold statement condemning particular institutions on the day of their loss alone is proof enough that they strongly believe MIT and the DA's office played a critical part in what happened.
- rprasad 14y ago
  The fact that the family chose to come forward with such a clear and bold statement condemning particular institutions on the day of their loss alone is proof enough that they strongly believe MIT and the DA's office played a critical part in what happened. Families usually say things like this the same day a loved one dies, so their statements today are proof of nothing. It is their statements next week or next month that indicate how they feel about MIT and the USDOJ's role in Aaron's death. "depressed about the case and the upcoming trial" (indicating perhaps that his depression and the pressure brought by the indictment are inseparable), Of course they are inseparable--most defendants do get at least a little depressed when they are facing criminal charges. But the one thing that 99.9999% of defendants have in common is that they don't kill themselves, especially not before they are convicted, unless they have a serious mental illness. The number of white collar federal defendants who have committed suicide prior to trial in the past decade can be counted on a single hand. Let's get this straight: I do think that the criminal case pushed Aaron over the edge and if you go far enough back in my posts I am usually blaming prosecutors for the overzealous and unethical behavior. If this case had gone to trial, I would probably be railing against the egregious prosecutorial misconduct of the case. But I place the blame for Aaron's death solely on his shoulders, because he is the one who made the decision to kill himself.
  - mgunes 14y ago
    > I do think that the criminal case pushed Aaron over the edge > But I place the blame for Aaron's death solely on his shoulders Quoted for emphasis.

by rprasad 14y ago

mgunes 14y ago

> merely That's some rather selective reading on your part. You ignore the context in his mother's statement on HN that he was "depressed about the case and the upcoming trial" (indicating perhaps that his depression and the pressure brought by the indictment are inseparable), and cherry-pick a particular sentence to support your own view, rather than try to hear the tone and spirit of the statement. The fact that the family chose to come forward with such a clear and bold statement condemning particular institutions on the day of their loss alone is proof enough that they strongly believe MIT and the DA's office played a critical part in what happened.

rprasad 14y ago
The fact that the family chose to come forward with such a clear and bold statement condemning particular institutions on the day of their loss alone is proof enough that they strongly believe MIT and the DA's office played a critical part in what happened. Families usually say things like this the same day a loved one dies, so their statements today are proof of nothing. It is their statements next week or next month that indicate how they feel about MIT and the USDOJ's role in Aaron's death. "depressed about the case and the upcoming trial" (indicating perhaps that his depression and the pressure brought by the indictment are inseparable), Of course they are inseparable--most defendants do get at least a little depressed when they are facing criminal charges. But the one thing that 99.9999% of defendants have in common is that they don't kill themselves, especially not before they are convicted, unless they have a serious mental illness. The number of white collar federal defendants who have committed suicide prior to trial in the past decade can be counted on a single hand. Let's get this straight: I do think that the criminal case pushed Aaron over the edge and if you go far enough back in my posts I am usually blaming prosecutors for the overzealous and unethical behavior. If this case had gone to trial, I would probably be railing against the egregious prosecutorial misconduct of the case. But I place the blame for Aaron's death solely on his shoulders, because he is the one who made the decision to kill himself.
- mgunes 14y ago
  > I do think that the criminal case pushed Aaron over the edge > But I place the blame for Aaron's death solely on his shoulders Quoted for emphasis.