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Dismissal Motion Heard, Sentencing Date Set in Lori Drew MySpace Suicide Case
Lori Drew, left, and her daughter Sarah, arrive at federal court | AP Photo/Nick Ut
Lori Drew's sentencing for charges related to the precedent-setting MySpace Suicide Case has been scheduled for April 30th in Los Angeles According to Associated Press. Lori Drew, who was not present at the hearing, was convicted November 26 of three counts of accessing computers without authorization. It is believed that the suicide of 13 year-old Megan Meier was a result of Drew setting up a fake profile on MySpace of a boy who romanced and then dumped Meier in 2006.
U.S. District Court Judge George Wu also deferred his decision on the motion to dismiss. The motion relates to the use of computer hacking laws and how they relate to internet sites' Terms of Service (TOS).
Defense attorney Orin Kerr argued that it's not a crime to violate a Web site's service terms under current law. "The question here is: What is the proper reading of the statute?" asked Kerr. "Reading the law, there is insufficient evidence to find someone guilty of a misdemeanor."
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