[net.legal] BBS Confiscation and the benefit of the doubt

rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) (06/12/84)

(Discussion moved from net.followup - topic is the confiscation of a
bulletin-board system as evidence.)

>By all means give people the benefit of the doubt.  When somebody
>assumes that a group called "UNDERGROUND" was used for criminal
>activities, he may be guilty not of prejudging the sysop, but of
>being unwilling to prejudge the police that took action.
>
>In the court of law, the sysop MIGHT be a defendant (or witness).  On
>this net, the authorities are being judged, and they deserve a little
>benefit of doubt, too.

In other words, we no longer need to honor the idea of "presumption of
innocence"?  And what about "due process" in the seizure of property?
-- 
Dick Dunn	{hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd		(303)444-5710 x3086
	...Cerebus for dictator!