Mitnick Demonstration
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   The 'Free Kevin' movement, trying to raise awareness of the hacker
   before his Monday sentencing hearing, got a boost last Friday. But did
   the rally help Kevin's chances?
   By Iolande Bloxsom  June 11, 1999

   Kevin Mitnick is due back in court on Monday, June 14, for a
   sentencing hearing. He's expected to receive time already served (more
   than three years) and an additional TK months in jail -- so he could
   be free by the end of this year.

   But there's also a few outstanding issues, including restitution, a
   pending state case, and the terms of Mitnick's probation.

   These issues, as well as the government's handling of the case,
   brought Mitnick supporters out to raise awareness about the imprisoned
   hacker.

   Around a dozen people gathered at the Philip Burton Federal Building
   in San Francisco on Friday, holding signs and passing out flyers about
   the Mitnick case.

   Some said Mitnick was unfairly denied a bail hearing. Some said there
   was no real evidence against him. And some just said: Free Kevin.

   it may not have been an overwhelming turnout. but the few who were
   there felt strongly about their cause. and about what should happen on
   june 14th, when mitnick is finally sentenced.

   "the judge will have an option of having him serve another year or
   having him released to a halfway house. and we feel that it's
   outrageous that he's been held for this long, when violent criminals,
   rapists, murderers, are sentenced, on average, to much less time than
   he's already served, without even having gone to trial." said Macki, a
   2600 member,

   "he's still supposed to face state charges after the federal charges,
   which i don't think is really right considering that he's been held
   for four years and hasn't even been sentenced until just now," said
   another Mitnick supporter, under the name of Vaccine.

   "it's not that he hasn't been treated well at all, it's that he's been
   treated worse than people that are doing things that are significantly
   worse than what he's been accused of." said another Mitnick supporter,
   robin bandy.

   "i think the real point is that if you're someone that murders someone
   or something like that, you can run through people's neighborhood, and
   the cops don't play with you. but if you rob a bank, then the cops are
   going to be all over you, because it's about protecting someone else's
   capital." charles chace/mitnick supporter

   you might expect to find hackers at a kevin mitnick support rally.

   and there might have been a few who made it. but here's one you
   probably wouldn't predict. a mother and son, who drove almost 200
   miles to show their support for kevin mitnick -- together.

   "We've had a Free Kevin sign on our door [for a year] and I have to
   say it embarrased me," says Loretta Karras, Dimitri's mother.

   "I can't say that I know everything about it, but something is wrong
   when somebody's been in jail for four years with no trial."