David Kernell and Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin testified today at David Kernell's hacking trial.
David, son of DEMOCRAT Tennessee state Rep. Mike Kernell, is suspected of being a cybercriminal. He knowingly violated Sarah Palin's privacy. His alleged crime had negative consequences for her entire family.
Bristol Palin, Sarah Palin's daughter, testified on Wednesday, relaying the fall-out from Kernell's actions.

Sarah Palin's daughter testified Wednesday against a former college student charged with breaking into her mother's e-mail account, saying she got anonymous phone calls and hundred of text messages after her cell phone number was posted online.

"There was one that really scared me," Bristol Palin testified in federal court. She said she was concerned when a bunch of boys called, claiming they were at her front door and needed to be let in.

"We live in the middle of nowhere in Alaska ... in the middle of the woods," Palin said.

Palin said her number was included with a photo she snapped of her brother Trigg taking his first bite of solid food and e-mailed to her parents while they were away during the 2008 presidential campaign.

This wasn't a prank. It was an illegal act with far-reaching consequences. Kernell was attempting to influence the presidential election. (He should apply for a job at CBS.)

There is no justification for what cyber-thug Kernell did. None.

Sarah Palin wants Kernell to be given an appropriate punishment for his illegal acts.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Sarah Palin testified Friday against a 22-year-old man accused of hacking into her e-mail account, saying later it's up to the judge to decide whether he should serve prison time if convicted.

Palin testified that the hacking compromised one of the main ways she communicated with her family back in Alaska as she campaigned in 2008 as the Republican vice presidential candidate. Outside the courthouse, when asked whether she thought community service was punishment enough rather than prison, she said, "That's up to the judge."

...Asked outside court if she thought the charges against Kernell were excessive, Palin said, "I don't know, but I do think there should be consequences for bad behavior."

I think Kernell should serve some prison time, but I doubt that he will. A slap on the wrist is an inadequate punishment for this cyber-thug and those of his ilk.
Kernell was ruthless.

The indictment alleges he reset the account's password and read Palin's e-mail, then posted screenshots and the password to a public message board.

...Kernell could face five years in prison and fines up to $250,000 if convicted.

Cybercrime needs to be taken seriously.

The long-term, lingering effects of this sort of breach of privacy must be considered.

If you had your e-mail account hacked and your personal information shared and posted on the Internet, you'd understand how serious this is.

Perhaps Kernell will get the punishment he deserves.

An egregious breach of privacy deserves a hefty sentence.

But once your privacy is violated, it's too late.

Nothing, no sentence, no settlement can undo that damage.