I don't believe he was going to do 35 years, nor 6 months. I don't think he did anything that warranted serving a jail sentence and felony conviction at all. If you think just taking the felony rap without serving a sentence is just as good, boy does the rest of the world has some news for you.
I think he was already depressed, the charges were weighing on him, and so were the legal fees.
In an affadavit... yes...?
In an election... maybe?
As a press release from a prosecutors office?
Probably not.
Either you like Mrs. Ortiz or not, no one is really going to make their decision based on whether or not Aaron Schwartz believed he was facing 6 years, or 35 years.
He was looking at 6 months tops, which means serving 2 tops as a first time offender, which means probably out in a month, which means probably a suspended sentence. My advice to anyone thinking about killing themselves over spending 35 years in jail... stop watching Oz, visit someone actually in a minimum security prison, ask them what it's like, take a plea for 4 months, get some exercize, go to bed early, eat some shitty food and enjoy all the ammenities club fed has to offer for a month or two.