Comment by ricree

16 hours ago

I remember reading about this when it first happened. Glad there was at least a somewhat positive outcome.

For reference, here is the HN thread shortly after the arrest: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21000273

47 comments

ricree

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lgats  16 hours ago

$600k for 6 years of legal battle and facing felony charges? no bueno

  • Aurornis  15 hours ago

    The 6 year, $600K lawsuit was something they initiated against the county.

    The initial charges against them were initially dropped to misdemeanors and then dismissed entirely, but that was a separate matter resolved earlier.

  • tptacek  13 hours ago

    This isn't a felony case. In fact, I'm not sure it ever was? It's not clear from their amended complaint, but they were ultimately charged with simple trespassing, a misdemeanor. Those trespassing charges were themselves dismissed a few months later.

    What we're talking about today is the resolution of what looks to me (not a lawyer) mostly like a defamation case. Were they defamed? Absolutely. The problem is, to get anything useful out of a defamation case, you need to demonstrate damages. They were accused of a crime --- per se defamation --- but the point of the suit is to recover damages.

    I don't want to be glib, and I'm very prepared to be wrong, but the Dallas County Courthouse Incident is likely one of the top 3 world events to have happened to both these pentesters. They've been cause celebres in the field for years and years. It might be pretty tricky to actually demonstrate damages.

    • sophacles  12 hours ago

      They were arrested, arraigned and bonded for felony charges. Those were later reduced to misdemeanor charges and the case was eventually dropped/dismissed (can't remember which) - so they were facing felony charges for a while.