If there's a trial will some of us be witnesses?

If Carl Johnson comes to trial, presumably both sides will call expert
witnesses.

So, who will these witnesses be? Ironically, we are almost certainly the
most qualified witnesses on the planet in these issues.

However, I expect we are too disreputable, to either side, to be called.
Instead, they'll likely call on peripheral players like Dorothy Denning to
explain to the jury what AP is. Or perhaps the "Science Applications Inc."
lightweight who attempted to analyze anonymity and remailers for a
conference paper a year or two ago.

Food for thought.

I'm not sure how I'd react if either side called on me to act as witness.
And if they subpoenaed me, I suppose I'd have to spend a few kilobucks to
hire some lawyer to explain to me how and when I could take the Fifth.
(That's what it's come to, with lawyers needed at every stage.)

--Tim May

"The tree of liberty must be watered periodically with the blood of
tyrants...."
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
ComSec 3DES:   408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Licensed Ontologist              | black markets, collapse of governments.

hmmmm, I doubt carl johnson will claim he is innocent. or
has he? the trial is only necessary if he doesn't plead
guilty. depending on his lawyer & the evidence, that seems likely to
me if he was involved. there aren't any cpunks with the 
resources to take on uncle sam, except maybe... <g>

seriously, though, it's fun to fantasize. it would certainly
be the trial of the century. better than unabomber & oj
simpson combined. <g>

that reminds me.. before they caught him I always thought
the unabomber was probably on the cpunk list. I was quite
surprised when his antitechnology rant came out. he's got
the rant part down, but not the technology part!!

at one time, kevin mitnick was on this list, rumor has
it. probably many of the world's premiere hackers have been at one time or
another.