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25,000 People Sign Petition to Remove Aaron Swartz's Prosecutors

168 points by jeffreyfox 14y ago

pizza_ 14y ago
Knee-jerk mob justice is alive and well.
dexter313 14y ago
34,995 and counting. +50 in 30 minutes https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remove-united-states-district-attorney-carmen-ortiz-office-overreach-case-aaron-swartz/RQNrG1Ck https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remove-united-stat...
RenierZA 14y ago
And now they raised the threshold to 100,000 http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57564203-93/white-house-raises-petition-signature-threshold-to-100k/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57564203-93/white-house-rai...
- wwwhizz 14y ago
  Yes, but not for existing petitions: "This new threshold applies only to petitions created from this point forward and is not retroactively applied to ones that already exist.
- yuvadam 14y ago
  A threshold clearly within the reach of the internet, when it has a desire to act.
- gesman 14y ago
  That's after half of US states successfully collected 25k+ votes on petitions to allow them to separate from US. Whitehouse copy/pasted same reply to all them, but figured that 25,000 is too easy for today's social media aware buggers and raised a quote.
albizu13 14y ago
WHEN TYRANNY BECOMES LAW, REBELLION BECOMES DUTY
justin66 14y ago
And thanks to the firebombing the petition's author has visited upon the English language, a government reaction to the petition will probably involve an immediate investigation of Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend.
- olefoo 14y ago
  Punk Rock Politics.
  - spoiledtechie 14y ago
    Punk Rock Politics?
    - olefoo 14y ago
      Loud, angry, effective.
anonymouz 14y ago
Why not ask for an investigation into her behaviour and its connection to the suicide instead? I have little sympathy for prosecutorial overreach , but it seems somewhat ironic and counterproductive that she should face such harsh consequences without there being at least an attempt to establish the facts of the matter independent of the lynch mob that is now on her heels. If we allege that she used her position to bully someone, we should at least not fall into the same trap ourselves.
- joelthelion 14y ago
  I think everyone who signs the petition knows that the Obama administration won't fire her like this. This is mostly to send a message to her and other prosecutors, and to get the Obama administration to examine the problem and give a response.
  - andrewvc 14y ago
    That's why I signed as well. The point is that firing should be on the table as the first option. The public needs a DAMN good reason not to fire this prosecutor. I think we're all well aware that she's probably not the worst prosecutor in the govt. I'm sure others have caused as much harm to those without the fame and network Aaron had. However, these are the people we entrust to uphold our laws, and we need to hold them accountable to justice, not their careers. Hopefully this is just the start.
- darkchasma 14y ago
  I think the point is to demand an internal investigation, and to ensure that destroying peoples lives in order to gain a metric for advancement will not be tolerated.
  - technoslut 14y ago
    I don't believe it was the intent of the petition but it may be the end result. I saw a story on Techmeme yesterday where the husband of the attorney supposedly said a plea was offered of six months. I'm not sure if the story was true but, if it was, it would put the story in a different light.
rngade 14y ago
Looks like Carmen Ortiz's husband is a douche, chiming in about the suicide on twitter to defend his wife: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/15/aaron-swartz-husband-prosecutor-criticises http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/15/aaron-swart...
sensible55 14y ago
Petition to stop the witchhunt against Ortiz: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/recognize-outstanding-work-united-states-attorney-carmen-ortiz/cWNlKfy7 https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/recognize-outstand...
- josephlord 14y ago
  Total signatures on this petition: 1 Signatures required: 99,999
shuri 14y ago
there's a fine line between fighting bullying and bullying the bullies.

168 points by jeffreyfox 14y ago

Knee-jerk mob justice is alive and well.

34,995 and counting. +50 in 30 minutes https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remove-united-states-district-attorney-carmen-ortiz-office-overreach-case-aaron-swartz/RQNrG1Ck https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remove-united-stat...

RenierZA 14y ago

And now they raised the threshold to 100,000 http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57564203-93/white-house-raises-petition-signature-threshold-to-100k/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57564203-93/white-house-rai...

wwwhizz 14y ago
Yes, but not for existing petitions: "This new threshold applies only to petitions created from this point forward and is not retroactively applied to ones that already exist.
yuvadam 14y ago
A threshold clearly within the reach of the internet, when it has a desire to act.
gesman 14y ago
That's after half of US states successfully collected 25k+ votes on petitions to allow them to separate from US. Whitehouse copy/pasted same reply to all them, but figured that 25,000 is too easy for today's social media aware buggers and raised a quote.

albizu13 14y ago

WHEN TYRANNY BECOMES LAW, REBELLION BECOMES DUTY

justin66 14y ago

And thanks to the firebombing the petition's author has visited upon the English language, a government reaction to the petition will probably involve an immediate investigation of Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend.

olefoo 14y ago
Punk Rock Politics.
- spoiledtechie 14y ago
  Punk Rock Politics?
  - olefoo 14y ago
    Loud, angry, effective.

anonymouz 14y ago

Why not ask for an investigation into her behaviour and its connection to the suicide instead? I have little sympathy for prosecutorial overreach , but it seems somewhat ironic and counterproductive that she should face such harsh consequences without there being at least an attempt to establish the facts of the matter independent of the lynch mob that is now on her heels. If we allege that she used her position to bully someone, we should at least not fall into the same trap ourselves.

joelthelion 14y ago
I think everyone who signs the petition knows that the Obama administration won't fire her like this. This is mostly to send a message to her and other prosecutors, and to get the Obama administration to examine the problem and give a response.
- andrewvc 14y ago
  That's why I signed as well. The point is that firing should be on the table as the first option. The public needs a DAMN good reason not to fire this prosecutor. I think we're all well aware that she's probably not the worst prosecutor in the govt. I'm sure others have caused as much harm to those without the fame and network Aaron had. However, these are the people we entrust to uphold our laws, and we need to hold them accountable to justice, not their careers. Hopefully this is just the start.
darkchasma 14y ago
I think the point is to demand an internal investigation, and to ensure that destroying peoples lives in order to gain a metric for advancement will not be tolerated.
- technoslut 14y ago
  I don't believe it was the intent of the petition but it may be the end result. I saw a story on Techmeme yesterday where the husband of the attorney supposedly said a plea was offered of six months. I'm not sure if the story was true but, if it was, it would put the story in a different light.

rngade 14y ago

Looks like Carmen Ortiz's husband is a douche, chiming in about the suicide on twitter to defend his wife: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/15/aaron-swartz-husband-prosecutor-criticises http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/15/aaron-swart...

sensible55 14y ago

Petition to stop the witchhunt against Ortiz: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/recognize-outstanding-work-united-states-attorney-carmen-ortiz/cWNlKfy7 https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/recognize-outstand...

josephlord 14y ago
Total signatures on this petition: 1 Signatures required: 99,999

shuri 14y ago

there's a fine line between fighting bullying and bullying the bullies.