<nettime> FC: Kevin Mitnick now unmuzzled, from Online Journalism Review

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

     [orig To: politech@vorlon.mit.edu, CC: fouts@rcf-fs.usc.edu

>Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 15:41:39 -0700 (PDT)
>From: "Joshua S. Fouts" <fouts@rcf-fs.usc.edu>
>To: declan@well.com
>Subject: Mitnick Free to Speak
>
>Hi Declan.
>
>Thought you might be interested in Doug Thomas' minutes-old report that
>Kevin Mitnick's probation officer has reversed their initial ruling and
>will now allow him to write, speak and report on tech issues for the
>media.
>
>http://ojr.usc.edu/content/story.cfm?request=398
>
>Mitnick Free to Speak
>
>By Douglas Thomas
>
>Kevin Mitnick was informed today by the United States Probation Office
>that he will be permitted to pursue several offers of employment including
>speaking engagements, security consulting work and writing for Steven
>Brill's online magazine Contentville. The approval represents a reversal
>of the probation office's earlier position that Mitnick was not to speak
>publically or write about any technology related issue. (See "Free Kevin
>(to speak!)".)
>In April, the probation office had sent Mitnick a letter denying all
>requests for employment, recommending instead that he "seek employment in
>another field." As a result of that letter, Mitnick returned to court
>hoping to get US Federal Judge Marianne Pfaelzer to provide guidelines
>regarding what employment opportunities would be considered "reasonable."
>
>Although Judge Pfaelzer set no such guidelines, her insistence that each
>of Mitnick's employment opportunities be reviewed seems to have had an
>effect. Moving from what Mitnick's defense attorneys deemed a "blanket
>denial" of Mitnick's right to speak or write, the probation office appears
>to be loosening up their restrictions to allow Mitnick to make a living.
>
>Mitnick expressed relief regarding today's decision, "I was in limbo," he
>said, "it was really hard not knowing what was going to happen."
>
>Writing for Contentville, Mitnick will be critiquing Internet and
>computer-related articles, providing his perspective and analysis. Other
>opportunities include speaking engagements, security consulting and
>possibly a position as a talk show host for Los Angeles radio station KFI.
>
>Mitnick's probation office, Larry Hawley had positive comments about
>Mitnick following the May hearing, calling him a "nice guy" who was "doing
>very well" under the terms of his supervised release.
>
>Since his release from prison in January, Mitnick has already made full
>restitution to the victim companies and is now concerned with getting on
>with his life and making a positive contribution. According to attorney
>Sherman Ellison, "a lot of maturation has happened in prison," and since
>that time, Mitnick has become a "valuable asset to the government and the
>private sector" because of his expertise.
>
>
>
>
>++++++++++++++++++++++++
>Joshua S. Fouts
>Managing Editor, OJR.org
>Online Journalism Review
>Tel:  +1-213-740-1786
>Fax:  +1-213-740-3772
>++++++++++++++++++++++++

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