From: Jim Choate <ravage@EINSTEIN.ssz.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1998 07:23:08 +0800
To: cypherpunks@EINSTEIN.ssz.com (Cypherpunks Distributed Remailer)
Subject: Re: What it's like to get a subpoena (re Toto) (fwd)
Message-ID: <199810132308.SAA08748@einstein.ssz.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



Forwarded message:

> Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 18:25:01 -0400
> From: John Young <jya@pipeline.com>
> Subject: Re: What it's like to get a subpoena (re Toto) (fwd)

> It's tough being the earliest ones contacted, having to decide
> as Tom and Jim have had to do about whether to go public
> or deal with the inquiries in private and hope that nothing worse
> develops.

That's what worries me, once the snowball gets rolling... I mean jeesh, I
run a program that handles email. This sort of stuff is exactly why I don't
like interacting with people via private email unless I know them personaly
(ie via non-electronic means). The software is publicly available and
certainly doesn't need me to explain it. While I can see some interest in
wanting to know what CJ/Toto/aka said to me that night on the phone and the
next day at the physical meet, it makes me wonder exactly what am I
*supposed* to know about...

> It's that switch from friendly and couterous to the other that
> none of want to think about, eh? "You're under arrest. Anything
> you say can and will be used against you." Hmm, what was I
> saying, posting, here.

Ahmen. Though a more insidous threat is the 'network' that gets built out of
it. I wonder if this means every time some bozo I happen to run across goes
postal I'm going to be 'investigated'? I wonder how long a name stays on
those (probably) non-existant lists?

> Makes a more convincing case to have a live body telling the
> facts of the matter, explaining how things work, somewhat eager 
> to instruct and please, in self-preservation, to keep the cops and
> court friendly and courteous. What was told to the investigators 
> in private, that's what hung Jim Bell and CJ.

That was the ultimate reason that I went ahead and posted it. That way
somebody *besides* me knew about it.

> Then the friendly folks came for you and me, working a list.

Which is the reason I'm talking to a lawyer to find out specificaly what is
going on. I mean in my own self interest and the continued existance of
TAG:SSZ it seems to be the thing to do. As far as I know I won't have access
to council once I'm in there.


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       To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice.

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