Agreed, but the author notes that "...after the plea-bargaining blew apart on January 11, 2013, Aaron's family was close to a million dollars in debt. He could

Agreed, but the author notes that "...after the plea-bargaining blew apart on January 11, 2013, Aaron's family was close to a million dollars in debt. He could not afford a trial." The disparity was financial- the bottomless pockets of the federal government vs. the finite resources of an individual (and donations from supporters). It's as if there's a need for a "CFAA legal defense" insurance policy that activists/security researchers could purchase to finance vigorous challenges to these statutes in the event of overzealous prosecution.