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Comment by suprgeek | Hacker News Reader

His father is justifiably enraged at the US Govt. Ms Ortiz and Steve Heymann are certainly the primary culprits here - However MIT is equally if not more responsible for this mess that ended in a horrible and needless tragedy.

MIT has a higher duty than the Govt. It is in their charter to foster open access - and not only did they NOT stand up for Aaron, they actually made the prosecution malicious by refusing to ask for anything less than JAIL TIME http://gothamist.com/2013/01/15/aaron_swartzs_lawyer_mit_ref...

So MIT as good as killed Aaron along with the Govt.. for shame!

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MIT didn't kill Aaron. But their decision to be the roadblock to a plea deal because it didn't include time in prison is shameful, and there is definitely some heavy responsibility on the heads of those at MIT who rejected that deal.

Everyone involved in the case had been made aware of Aaron's depression http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/he_ll_be_safe_in_jail_fed...

They knew that this (suicide) was a risk if they kept hounding the guy - yet the Prosecutors and MIT both kept going at it - for the sake of political gain (prosecutors).

> yet the Prosecutors and MIT both kept going at it - for the sake of political gain (prosecutors).

Do you have proof of this, or is it just what you believe of the situation?

Well yeah, it's also in article here on HN. They wanted him to have jail time

Articles aren't proof. Victims don't have veto authority over plea bargain negotiations in any US jurisdiction that I know of.

Veto is non necessary, pressure and willingness to pursue and unwillingness to have any plaid without jail time is what the MIT is _rightly_ accused of.

Devil's advocate: if we felt the punishment was fair then would we think the prosecutors should have been leniant because the accused person was depressed? For example if we were having this conversation about a murderer or a rapist.

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