HACKERS TO FACE TOUGHER SENTENCES IN U.S.

October 7, 2003: Hackers to Face Tougher Sentences: The washingtonpost.com reports that convicted hackers and virus writers soon will face significantly harsher penalties under new guidelines that dictate how the U.S. government punishes computer crimes.
Starting in November, federal judges will begin handing out the expanded penalties, which were developed by the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

The Cyberlaw Clinic had previously filed comments on February 19, 2003 and March 17, 2003 with the U.S. Sentencing Commission on behalf of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and The Sentencing Project arguing that the penalties should not be expanded.