British courts granted 42-year-old UK computer hacker Gary McKinnon a judicial review into the extradition proceedings levied against him by the United States, shortly after he was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and assessed as a possible suicide threat.
McKinnon is currently wanted in the United States for breaking into U.S. military networks in order to hunt for classified information on UFOs. According to U.S. prosecutors, McKinnon broke into 97 computers, belonging to everything from the Department of Defense to the U.S. Air Force to NASA, and caused nearly $1m worth of damage.
At one time, U.S. officials allege, McKinnon deleted critical information from U.S. Army systems that ended up knocking more than 2000 computers offline in Washington, DC.
McKinnon admitted responsibility for his crimes, and in a BBC interview referred to himself as a “bumbling computer nerd” uninterested in wreaking havoc.
He also admitted, however, that towards the end of his escapades his actions became a bit more dire –going so far as to leave U.S. authorities a calling card in the form of a anti-war notes displayed on hacked systems’ computer screens.
“I think I almost wanted to be caught, because it was ruining me,” said McKinnon, referring to how his quest eventually turned into an addiction that had him foregoing friends, food, and even cleanliness. “I had this classic thing of wanting to be caught so there would be an end to it.”
If extradited, McKinnon faces 8-10 years in a medium- or high-security U.S. prison and a $250,000 fine – a far cry from the three or four years he thought he’d get in UK courts.
Complicating the proceedings was his recent diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, as well as revelations from his ex-girlfriend that extradition would likely make him suicidal. Opponents of the review argued the thread to his health would be low.
“We are overjoyed that the British courts have shown sense and compassion,” said McKinnon’s mother in a statement to the press. “We have always been outraged by the Home Office's decision to have him extradited to stand trial in a foreign land where he would face an out-of-proportion sentence for what is essentially a crime of eccentricity.”
U.S. authorities originally tried to negotiate a plea bargain with McKinnon: if he came to the U.S. willingly, he’d face a lenient 6-to-12 months at a minimum-security prison and then immediately be repatriated back to the UK. McKinnon objected, however, claiming that such a deal was a violation of his human rights because it would force him to admit guilt.
