Lori Drew Acquitted

Good. She is a reprehensible human being, but that is not against the law. This whole thing has been like a bad Law & Order episode 'ripped from the headlines'. [Link]

A federal judge on Thursday overturned guilty verdicts against Lori Drew, issuing a directed acquittal on three misdemeanor charges.

Drew, 50, was accused of participating in a cyberbullying scheme against 13-year-old Megan Meier who later committed suicide. The case against Drew hinged on the government’s novel argument that violating MySpace’s terms of service was the legal equivalent of computer hacking. But U.S. District Judge George Wu found the premise troubling.

“It basically leaves it up to a website owner to determine what is a crime,” said Wu on Thursday, echoing what critics of the case have been saying for months. “And therefore it criminalizes what would be a breach of contract.”

Tina Meier, the mother of Megan Meier, walked out of the courtroom while Wu was still delivering his ruling. She later told reporters that she was “extremely upset with the decision” and that she left because she “was done listening to” the judge. She indicated that the family is still considering whether to bring a civil case against Drew.

Ron Meier, Megan Meier’s father, whose marriage fell apart after his daughter’s death, wore a large lapel button bearing his daughter’s smiling face as he spoke to reporters with tears in his eyes. He said despite Drew’s acquittal, “a jury of her peers did convict her, so that itself is a victory.”

Drew’s attorney, H. Dean Steward, praised Wu’s decision and said that “those of us that are concerned about being prosecuted” for violating a terms of service agreement “should feel a bit better now.”

I feel bad for Megan Meier's family, but there is not always someone to sue or prosecute, no matter how much we would like to.