David C. Kernell Indicted for Allegedly Hacking into Governor Sarah Palin’s E-mail Account
A federal grand jury has indicted twenty-year old David C. kernell of Knoxville, Tennessee for intentionally accessing Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s E-mail account without authorization on or about September 16,2008. Kernell allegedly changed Sarah Palin’s e-mail password after having successfully answered a series of security questions. Kernell is accused of thereafter taking screenshots of the directory and content of Sarah Palin’s e-mail account and posting those screenshots on a public website together with the new password.
The indictment was handed down by a federal grand jury in Knoxville on October 7, 2008. The indictment was unsealed on October 8, 2008. Kernell surrendered himself and was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley on October 8, 2008. Judge Shirley released Kernell from custody without bail. Kernell –if convicted- is facing up to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. No trial date has been set. The Department of Justice press release correctly points out that an indictment is merely an allegation and Kernell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
