I hope that they throw the book at him.
So you think the appropriate punishment for what he did is a longer prison sentence than most rapists and murderers receive?
You are posting this comment on a forum that is run by a business co-founded by someone who was convicted under the same statute as Swartz is accused of violating. You knew that, right? Many years ago, he "broke the law" and was convicted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. But he served no jail time. I guess the situation was different in many ways. Tell us how. Or maybe it was not so different. What do you think?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Tappan_Morris
My guess is Swartz will end up dropping his rebellious attitude and will apologise for what he did.
And, no, this is not a case of civil disobedience. If it was, Swartz would have publicly violated the law (rather than attempting to conceal the crime) in order to draw attention to its putative unfairness.
Aaron Swartz is a spoiled brat. I hope that they throw the book at him.