Sunday, March 11, 2007
What The Next Generation Thinks - Is this our legacy
I just wanted you to know that I wish I could send more. I wish I were independently wealthy and capable of "pulling strings" to get you out of this situation. Alas, I am only 23 years old. I've lived in a world where there was always a personal computer. I've been typing on computer keyboards since I was in the 3rd grade. I built my first computer at the age of 12. I've built numerous systems for friends and family since then. I've used both PCs and Macs, I've even had some fun using a once little known operating system (Linux). I know more about the technology involved in your case than most of the prosecution team knows about *any* technology.
I chose to donate 15 dollars, not because it's a nice round number, but because it is what I make per hour, and right now, finances are tight enough for me that one hour out of a paycheck means the difference between having "spending money" and just being able to cover all the bills and rent. It's trivial, but it's where I am. I don't want thanks for this, there's no amount of thanks that will make up for the fact that this nation, it's government, it's "justice system" and the vast majority of it's people are so far behind the learning curve that innocent people are being hurt, innocent lives destroyed, and innocent productive members of society are threatened with removal from that society while true criminals continue to terrorize the populace. My "consumerist dollars" are yours this pay period. My consumerist dollars are also no longer for this country. I have friends and family in Canada, and I've become so disgusted with this nation over your case that I will be saving up until I can leave.
This nation is no longer the democracy it fought so hard to try to become. As such, this citizen is ashamed because someone who holds the highest position a human can hold, the same position that is the most undervalued and under-respected profession in this country, has been treated like a criminal by people who aren't worthy enough to be called one of her students. Your treatment is the direct result of catering to the lowest common denominator. I cannot continue to live in a country that rapes it's greatest resources like this. Teachers are the difference between a healthy foundation for future generations, and no foundation at all. My fiancee has almost completed her Masters degree to teach ESL, at this moment I am genuinely afraid for her. Afraid that she'll befall the same fate as you. Guilt determined without evidence or rebuttal. My contribution is in hope that she'll never have to face the same firing squad as you. I hope that your appeal will be seen by a judge worthy of your case and a jury of your peers (hopefully a teacher or two among them).As I said before, I've lived and worked in a world where computers have always existed and have almost always been in every house. I can't imagine what a world without computers is, and I also can't imagine what it's like trying to keep up with a world that has adopted computers so quickly if you yourself didn't follow the world of computing closely. I don't mean to imply that you're some kind of computer illiterate moron, but just to say that I see my grandparents struggle with technology not because they lack intelligence, but because their minds and modes of operation were formed in a time where the most used and strongest tool that they had at their disposal was themselves. To them, a computer and the internet are a luxury that life has afforded them and they use both sparingly, opting to use other means to organize their lives that they have proven tried and true over their years. I myself find computers and especially the internet essential to my everyday life and interactions with others.In short, you have been wronged. I empathize with that and hope that there are more than enough contributions to prevent your family from feeling the strain of the financial burden that the idiocy contained within the Connecticut judicial system has brought upon you and yours.If there is anything more than monetary help that I can lend, do not hesitate to ask. The worst I can do, is say no. If it's something within my power to do, I will most assuredly say yes.Wishing I didn't have to wish you luck,
Tony Scaruffi
PS - Goodluck!
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42 comments:
As a computer technician who specializes virus and malware infestations, I feel for you. These are insidious and evil little programs. Even as a trained professional, it is often difficult to locate and terminate the "boogers" responsible for these popups and other nasty behavior.
There was nothing you could have done to stop the barrage, short of turning the computer system off, which you were instructed not to do. The school system's IT staff should have been more responsive to the situation and dealt with it promptly.
The school system's administration and IT staff should be on trial, not you. With properly implemented filtering software, firewalls, and popup blockers, this would not have happened. Their failure to protect both you and the children from this onslaught is simply inexcusable.
No matter what happens in the coming weeks, rest assured you have an army of geeks behind you, who will not give up until you are cleared of these charges.
You folks should see this article in the London Times - the point being the 185 comments. Most of them seem to be supportive, or at least on your side. This article has been a headline in their online edition for at least a couple of weeks, so will certainly have raised exposure for you. Good luck.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1464355.ece
The other point I want to make is why have we allowed Microsoft to get off free of blame in this situation? They designed and wrote the software that allowed the pop-ups to happen. I would say you had grounds for suing them for millions. There is no excuse for the appallingness of their software. The FireFox web browser would never have allowed these popups to appear. www.spreadfirefox.com
Alex Kerr
I am not a computer "geek". Just the average home user. I know for a fact that this can easily happen because it happened when my local phone company switched my DSL to another known company who shall remain anonymous. I immediately began receiving such messages and couldn't do anything to block them. The e-mail provider said they were unable to block them also. I had to switch providers to stop this obnoxious mail. If they can post to your e-mail, they can also cause pop ups to occur. Julie has my full support and I sincerely hope the legal system sees the error in their ways.
We heard about your situation on Susie Bright's podcast on Audible.com, and have made a contribution. It certainly sounds like there's a huge over-reaction going on here. We wish you the best of luck.
A very good article to support you in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/andrewkantor/2007-03-16-julie-amero-update_N.htm?csp=34
This is ridiculous. A big country like USA discuss a little teacher´s mistake. Oh, there are too many things in the real world more important than this... I´m so sorry for your nation ...
This is a most insane story. I have worked in the IT sector since 1980, and cannot believe that our current court systems are so out of touch with the realities of the web world. It appears that the press is getting the word out, and hopefully it will bring some sense to this story. (Thanks to Susie Bright's Journal for bringing it to my attention).
I will be sending a small contribution to help you with your situation. All the best.
I have read all the articles about Julie Amero. I have read all of the expert analyses. I have read the hundreds of comments from America and from around the world. I have read the entire transcript of Julie’s “trial”. I have read the vague and inartfully drawn statute under which Julie was convicted as well as its legislative history and some of the decisions construing it. (The appellate courts of Connecticut have had trouble with the vagueness of this statute – a statute certainly not written for a case like this one – finding the statute to be constitutional only with proper, clear, curative instructions to the jury from the Court, something that, in my view, was lacking here.) There is no need for me to here “preach to the choir” of my belief in Julie’s innocence or of the confluence of ignorance, incompetence and apparent malice and/or hysteria that convicted her. Like many of you, I have made my contribution to Julie’s defense fund and have emailed or written to the news outlets, my friends and colleagues, government officials and others. More must be done. It’s been over 40 years since I marched down Massachusetts Avenue and assembled in peaceful protest with hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of others in Cambridge Commons in opposition to misguided conduct by the government of that era. Then, we protested, among other things, the sacrifice of thousands of innocent young people – my then contemporaries – to a different kind of ignorance. Eventually, mainstream America took notice of our protests. Now, we must protest the sacrifice of one innocent to a different ignorance remembering that “[a]n injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.” (Martin Luther King). While some of us, young and old[er], with enough computer savvy to access a blog, are painfully aware of this current injustice to Julie Amero, mainstream America and mainstream Connecticut are not aware of it or of its threat to their liberty. Most of mainstream America gets its information from television and the print media. And that media publicizes the news that sells commercial airtime or print advertisements. Let’s provide them with something to publicize. At least, let’s let Norwich know that we are watching. (I think that peaceful protest and freedom of assembly and association are still permitted there.) Let’s let Julie know that we support her. I do not live in Connecticut. It will take me at least three hours to get there, but I will be in Norwich on Julie’s sentencing date, now scheduled for March 29, 2007. Please get up from your computer and join me. You computer geeks (a term I use with respect) who are far more blog-savvy than I, please get the word out. While I would like to be in the courtroom to observe the proceedings on March 29th, nothing would please me more than to find that the place is so crowded with Julie’s supporters that I can’t get in. By the way, I am not some left-wing radical. I am now a moderate, middle-aged part of mainstream America. I am outraged. I am also an attorney. I am alarmed. And ashamed.
I have read all the articles about Julie Amero. I have read all of the expert analyses. I have read the hundreds of comments from America and from around the world. I have read the entire transcript of Julie’s “trial”. I have read the vague and inartfully drawn statute under which Julie was convicted as well as its legislative history and some of the decisions construing it. (The appellate courts of Connecticut have had trouble with the vagueness of this statute – a statute certainly not written for a case like this one – finding the statute to be constitutional only with proper, clear, curative instructions to the jury from the Court, something that, in my view, was lacking here.) There is no need for me to here “preach to the choir” of my belief in Julie’s innocence or of the confluence of ignorance, incompetence and apparent malice and/or hysteria that convicted her. Like many of you, I have made my contribution to Julie’s defense fund and have emailed or written to the news outlets, my friends and colleagues, government officials and others. More must be done. It’s been over 40 years since I marched down Massachusetts Avenue and assembled in peaceful protest with hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of others in Cambridge Commons in opposition to misguided conduct by the government of that era. Then, we protested, among other things, the sacrifice of thousands of innocent young people – my then contemporaries – to a different kind of ignorance. Eventually, mainstream America took notice of our protests. Now, we must protest the sacrifice of one innocent to a different ignorance remembering that “[a]n injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.” (Martin Luther King). While some of us, young and old[er], with enough computer savvy to access a blog, are painfully aware of this current injustice to Julie Amero, mainstream America and mainstream Connecticut are not aware of it or of its threat to their liberty. Most of mainstream America gets its information from television and the print media. And that media publicizes the news that sells commercial airtime or print advertisements. Let’s provide them with something to publicize. At least, let’s let Norwich know that we are watching. (I think that peaceful protest and freedom of assembly and association are still permitted there.) Let’s let Julie know that we support her. I do not live in Connecticut. It will take me at least three hours to get there, but I will be in Norwich on Julie’s sentencing date, now scheduled for March 29, 2007. Please get up from your computer and join me. You computer geeks (a term I use with respect) who are far more blog-savvy than I, please get the word out. While I would like to be in the courtroom to observe the proceedings on March 29th, nothing would please me more than to find that the place is so crowded with Julie’s supporters that I can’t get in. By the way, I am not some left-wing radical. I am now a moderate, middle-aged part of mainstream America. I am outraged. I am also an attorney. I am angry. And ashamed.
Julie and Wes,
I have contributed $50 to your defense fund. It is a travesty of justice that Julie is being tried because an unprotected school computer was compromised with malware and exposed some children to pornography. Anyone familiar with computers can tell you that an unsecured PC running Windows 98 can be compromised in a matter of minutes of being connected to the internet. The ones who should be on trial are the people who failed to secure the computer.
I hope you are able to make an successful appeal and that you clear your name. I also hope that the people who shifted the blame onto Julie are held responsible, tried and treated as harshly as Julie has been.
I wish you the best of luck, I hope you don't need it.
Sincerely,
NorWitched
I lived in Norwich for over 25 years and I have to say that Connecticut is different from my home state, and Norwich is crazy. I remember moving to NorWitch and seeing some very strange things, like Departmant of Children and Families (DCF) vehicles all over the place. They were called DCYS back then. The DCYS seemed to harass and remove children from the poor people all the time. I can remember they parked their vehicles in a huge parking lot owned by an unknown person. I wondered if the vehicles belonged to other State agencies too, but they said that they were for DCYS employees only. They had about 40 vehicles parked in the parking lot. There were 2 DCYS offices in the county as well, and they had several employees for each office. They were mostly seen in the poor neighborhoods of Norwich and New London. I can remember when I was about 14 years old, a neighbor got angry at us and called DCYS. The complaint was that my mother kept me under a spell with a strong witchcraft necklace... LOL. I asked the social worker why she even bothered to take the complaint. She said she was required to investigate every complaint regardless of the nature.
I was finally learning how crazy it was in Nutwich. We had the Norwich State Mental Hospital which was closed down about 8 years ago. I would see mental patients all over the streets and riding the public bus system. Many of them lived in the buildings in the downtown area as well. Now that the hospital has shut down, you do not see as many of them anymore, but the police think that they do. In Norwich there is a list of 10 codes used over their police radio system.... Example: 10-45 Is a "Dimented Person". The police have not changed very much when it comes to the people. If an officer doesn't like you or doesn't want to be bothered, he or she will tell the dispatcher (Headquarters or HQ) that you are a 10-45. Your "crazy/10-45" label may also be placed in their dispatch computer and you are then officially NorWitched. Now you have become a Norwich Police certified nutcase... LOL. I sometimes laugh at this, but yet I find it very sad.
I can remember a building on the Norwich State Mental Hospital grounds called the "Martin House". Everyone arrested for misdemeanor crimes were discouraged by the public defender's office in the Norwich courts from going to jury trial, they just wanted everyone to take a plea bargain and make a cash donation of $100 - $500 to the Martin House or to their favorite charity. Needless to say, many knew that some of the donations weren't really going to the Martin House or any other charity. I wondered why or how these people were ever going to serve the justice system with such hostility and corruption. Luckily I had never been accused of a crime, but I've been to court with friends and family. What a sick joke this all was.
The local school system has always been a joke as well. There were only a few good teachers that really cared about the students. The Board of Education wanted the government funding, but they didn't want to spend it to properly run the schools. Everything in Norwich just looked like a big scam to me. Even our 911 services were terrible. Years ago Norwich spent about $3 million on a new emergency communications center, and the system is run very poorly by the police. Many emergency 911 calls have resulted in failures by emergency operators to respond the Fire Department and failures to even send needed Ambulance services. The lovely Ambulance service was even criminally prosecuted for Medicare fraud a couple of years ago.... LOL. Ever since Louis Fusaro became the police chief, the Police Department became even more corrupt.
Don't be surprised by the Julie Amero case or any case that comes out of Norwich. The town has a long history of criminal cops and official drunks. A 10-46 is an "Intoxicated Person"... LOL. I'm not sure what the problem really is with Norwich anymore, but maybe we should just admit that we all have a little bit of "10-45" in us.... LOL.
I kept myself from becoming insane, I moved away from NorWitch.
All I can say is, this is sick! ANYBODY with the least bit of IT knowledge (including myself, a former IT intern) absolutely knows how easy it can be for things like this to occur unintended on a poorly-kept computer with internet access. Spyware and trojans can in and of themselves cause porn pop-ups, and certainly there are a lot of websites like the one described with benign addresses and titles owned by parties that use them to make money from hosting pop-up ads and clickthroughs (often pornographic) accompanying what's basically nothing more than a empty facsimile of a useful website. (There are no pop-ups that appear in my pop-up-blocked browser, but take, for example, www.yaoho.com - an obvious attempt to cash in on typos of yahoo.com - this is a light example; they get much, much worse than this...)
On less secure browsers and computers (as would basically be inevitable at this point on internet-enabled Windows 98 in the first place), it would be very easy to "lose control" of the computer like this - at best, the windows may have been set to be impossible to close (at least without a lot of busywork by someone with a good deal of experience in the matter), and at worst, there are examples where the creator of the malware/site/etc. is directly out to show a barrage of shock imagery and overload the computer's processor/memory with endless quick-appearing windows to the point where the computer MUST be shut off.
It's one thing for the prosecution, judge and jury to be relatively ignorant of computer security matters, but for them to have barred a computer expert witness from offering evidence basically throws this into witch-hunt territory. If you can't allow a defense to present evidence that anyone with significant computer experience could basically confirm as correct, it's not due process, and it's hardly even a trial. It's the public punishment of an innocent person for sport and for show, and it's sick.
I've been through Norwich before, it's a lovely town. That this sort of egregious failure of law and abuse of an innocent person is happening there is just unbelievable to me.
This is truly awful. I really hope sanity prevails in this case. America the world is watching!
From New Zealand
(from up2late66 on myspace)
here is a corrected link to the USA Today article above -
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/andrewkantor/2007-02-22-julie-amaro_x.htm
and to San from NZ, a lot of us here in America as well are shaking our heads at the utter BS/Hyprocisy evident in this case.
We are not a nation of chimpanzees, but I can certainly see where you might get that impression ;)
RE- What The Next Generation Thinks - Is this our legacy
So was that a supporting Julie Amero post or just a post so you can go on about how you know computers? Wow with the self praise, at least your selfworth is high. But the story is about an inocent women wrongly convicted from Porn Spam. Not about you. Anyone who owns a computer connected to the internet knows this porn spam is so common. I hope they fix this mistake
Please keep us all informed of when the sentencing is scheduled for. There seem to have been changes in that schedule. Hopefully, someone will finally admit that this never should have been prosecuted and drop the whole thing.
Also, I think everyone should work at keeping up the pressure in the media. The prosecutors may think that they can wait until this slips from the public mind.
All the best to you, Julie.
P.S. Great stuff there, Injustice!
There are alot of us out here waiting to hear any news at all of how things are going. Can you post an update here for us?
I, too, would like an update. This is more than just an individual case, it's something as basic as justice being trampled to death and beaten. All because some people know absolutely nothing about computers.
She won't be permitted. Justice won't allow it. If it does, justice in America will be gone.
Can you give us an update please? Is the court date still on fo the 26th? There are a lot of people out here that want to be there to support you if it is..........we are all waiting to hear an update.....
This is an important case for many people..........
http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/julie-amero-sentencing-rescheduled-to.html
I just can´t believe that justice is doing this. I support you Julie.
Regards from Portugal
As an Irish IT Professional with 20 years experience including both schools support and IT Security, I was stunned to read of this in ComputerScope Ireland Magazine. I have no doubt as to your innocence. Glad to be able to send you some Euros! Keep up the fight and good luck.
As of June 6th Julie Amero has been granted a new trial!!!
There is a short article about it in Norwich Bulletin, I'm sure longer articles will follow elsewhere.
Thank God and all my good wishes go with you, Julie.
Fantastic news today; Julie was granted a new trial. Now we can only hope that this travesty of justice is never even re-tried. Congrats Julie! It's too bad you ever had to go through any of this.
One disturbing comment from the court: "Strackbein criticized the bloggers today, saying they tried to "improperly influence" the court."
That's what happens when the courts don't do their job! What happened here is exactly what should have happened, someone was being railroaded by irresponsible and inept leadership and the people step in and defended that person. This is what America SHOULD be all about! The fact that the judge does not seem to understand that is very, very scary.
Congrats on today's Ruling Julie,let's hope this nightmare is over for you.
Teacher Gets New Trial on Classroom Porn
By STEPHANIE REITZ, Associated Press Writer
Wed Jun 6, 8:21 AM
NEW LONDON, Conn. - A judge granted a new trial Wednesday for a former substitute teacher convicted of allowing students to view pornography on a classroom computer.
Prosecutors did not oppose the defense motion for a new trial for Julie Amero, 40, who had faced up to 40 years in prison after her January conviction.
The computer was sent to a state laboratory after the trial, and the judge said Wednesday that those findings may contradict evidence presented by the state computer expert.
"The jury may have relied, at least in part, on that faulty information," said Judge Hillary B. Strackbein, who granted the request for a new trial.
Amero has adamantly denied clicking on pornographic Web sites that appeared on her classroom's computer screen in October 2004 while she was teaching seventh-graders at Kelly Middle School in Norwich.
Some technology experts believe unseen spyware and adware programs might have generated the pop-up ads for pornographic Web sites. Amero and her supporters say the old computer, which she was ordered to leave on, lacked firewall or antispyware protections to prevent inappropriate pop-ups.
Several students testified that they saw pictures of naked men and women, including at least one image of a couple having oral sex.
Amero was to have been sentenced Wednesday but instead pleaded not guilty to the same charges, four counts of risk of injury to a minor. A date for the new trial has not been set.
"I had a great team behind me and I feel comfortable with the decision today," she said after the hearing.
Her attorney, William F. Dow, commended prosecutors, saying they acted responsibly.
"The lesson from this is all of us are subject to the whims of these computers," he said after the hearing.
There is some great information here about those directly involved on the tech & legal sides.
http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/some-comments-on-julie-amero-case.html
I don't know much about a law.
I do however know a bit about revenge
Is a civil defamation suit appropriate?
It just seems like ineptness should have it's own reward
I have been following this case now for a while, reading about on boingboing.net. For a person living in europe, I always am a bit puzzeld about how americans tend to react to something, in our eyes, rather harmless. Don't get me wrong: I am against porn. But 40 year imprisonment? Are you people crazy?
Julie you hang in there. Going to donate 15 EUR through PayPall
Dont give up.
As a computer security professional, I wish to congratulate you on finally getting a new trial! Perhaps this time the truth will finally come out, and you shall be vindicated. You did nothing wrong, and you handled the entire situation in a way that you can be proud of. I wish I had a child in your school district, I'd love to have you as their teacher!
Congratulations on the new trial. When I initially heard of your case I was involved in a similar case in Indiana as the defense forensic computer expert. Those of us in the business of providing criminal defense forensic examinations were appalled at the negligent efforts of the state's examiner and I'm glad that the courts seem to agree with you. The difference between your case and the one I just finished is that after our results were shown to the prosecutor and state's expert in Indiana, the charges against the defendant were dropped, there was no need to go to trial. I have to give cudos to that prosecutor and police officer. They recognized that there were things they didn't know and more importantly, they didn't know what it was they didn't know. Hopefully, your next trial will reveal ALL the evidence and you will be exonerated. Better yet, maybe the prosecutor will get a competent examination done, by a third party and then act on the results of that investigation.
Good Luck and God Bless,
Brian K. Ingram, Owner
C.I.S.
http://www.cispi.net
Congrats on getting a new trial.
Hopefully justice will serve this time.
It has been a long haul, but in the end, it will be worth it.
All the best!
I work in the IT field. I know what I'm doing. The other day, for research, I needed to find out the years that Hitler was in power. I went to Google and typed in "Hitler's Rise to Power." I then clicked on the first hit. It was a porn site.
This could have happened to anyone, including a teacher, kids, anyone.
The people who are prosecuting you are idiots and are trying to make a name for themselves.
Seeing a few porn images in a pop-up isn't going to affect kids. Exposing them to violent movies, violent rap music, violent TV shows, and violent video games is. We should be prosecuting the people who produce this garbage. The prosecutors of this case should be in prison for what they are doing.
I'm just a blogger, a mom, a student, and have great respect for teachers everywhere.
I caught Julie's story online and I am SO happy she is getting a new trial. Hang in there, there are so many pulling for you, even from my corner of the web.
So... it's now October.
Any word on this "new trial"? I imagine the prosecution has some sort of deadline before they can decide whether or not to charge Julie again, and hope that they've taken some sanity pills and decided to not retry this case.
Any word?
Any word on the new trial?
Ms. Amero,
I am a magazine journalism major at Syracuse University. I am currently writing an article about the internet and how it can get you in trouble in the workplace.
During my research I came across your case. I would love to interview you for my article.
If you are willing to help, please contact me at liberry@syr.edu.
Best,
Lisa
Hello, this brog is nice!!
I already link to this page.
If you don't mind. Please link to my blog this URL
http://digitalitem.blogspot.com/
To who ever posted the link to Tactical Flashlight(s). No words, just a link....The only thing you have managed to do is make an innocent person even more sick over this horrible ordeal. I did not publish your link, as I believe it to be a threat to Julie and myself. If you would, please use something other than the Anonymous signature so that we might have a chance to chat.
wes
My thoughts are with the Amero family. I hope I'm right that signs point to Mrs. Amero's exoneration.
Latest news:
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/2008/11/ct-misdemeanor-plea-ends-norwich.html
I think she should not be losing her job and had to plead to anything. The IT department, apparently incompetent, should be held somewhat responsible for not securing the machine with virus, spyware and adware software. And why did the IT department not install a firewall program to prevent visiting porn sites in the first place?
I am thankful she is not in prison, but I feel she should've just been freed without pleading to anything!
Hi Julie, it today july 26 2009 and I am from The Netherlands in Europe, I red a kopple of weeks ago about your tragedy pc incident, I was shoked when i red that they wanted to sent your to prison for 40 years, I was thinking OMG how can they punishing some one that hard for something like this, today i thought about it again and was wondering if there was news about this awful situation, so i started to google at your name and was very pleased to read that they gave back your freedom. But it's still awfull that you had to sit in prisson for 4 year, 4 years of hell and for nothing, I hope they will make that mistake right with a good sum of money, I hope that you did sew the state for this mistake.
Most of al I am happy that your free again, and I hope that you feel great today, and enjoy your life.
Big Hug from The Netherlands
XXX Herma
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