FC: Kevin Mitnick now unmuzzled, from Online Journalism Review

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

> Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 15:41:39 -0700 (PDT)
> From: "Joshua S. Fouts" <fouts () rcf-fs usc edu>
> To: declan () well com
> Subject: Mitnick Free to Speak
>
> Hi Declan.
>
> Thought you might be interested in Doug Thomas' minutes-old report that
> Kevin Mitnick's probation officer has reversed their initial ruling and
> will now allow him to write, speak and report on tech issues for the
> media.
>
> http://ojr.usc.edu/content/story.cfm?request=398
>
> Mitnick Free to Speak
>
> By Douglas Thomas
>
> Kevin Mitnick was informed today by the United States Probation Office
> that he will be permitted to pursue several offers of employment including
> speaking engagements, security consulting work and writing for Steven
> Brill's online magazine Contentville. The approval represents a reversal
> of the probation office's earlier position that Mitnick was not to speak
> publically or write about any technology related issue. (See "Free Kevin
> (to speak!)".)
> In April, the probation office had sent Mitnick a letter denying all
> requests for employment, recommending instead that he "seek employment in
> another field." As a result of that letter, Mitnick returned to court
> hoping to get US Federal Judge Marianne Pfaelzer to provide guidelines
> regarding what employment opportunities would be considered "reasonable."
>
> Although Judge Pfaelzer set no such guidelines, her insistence that each
> of Mitnick's employment opportunities be reviewed seems to have had an
> effect. Moving from what Mitnick's defense attorneys deemed a "blanket
> denial" of Mitnick's right to speak or write, the probation office appears
> to be loosening up their restrictions to allow Mitnick to make a living.
>
> Mitnick expressed relief regarding today's decision, "I was in limbo," he
> said, "it was really hard not knowing what was going to happen."
>
> Writing for Contentville, Mitnick will be critiquing Internet and
> computer-related articles, providing his perspective and analysis. Other
> opportunities include speaking engagements, security consulting and
> possibly a position as a talk show host for Los Angeles radio station KFI.
>
> Mitnick's probation office, Larry Hawley had positive comments about
> Mitnick following the May hearing, calling him a "nice guy" who was "doing
> very well" under the terms of his supervised release.
>
> Since his release from prison in January, Mitnick has already made full
> restitution to the victim companies and is now concerned with getting on
> with his life and making a positive contribution. According to attorney
> Sherman Ellison, "a lot of maturation has happened in prison," and since
> that time, Mitnick has become a "valuable asset to the government and the
> private sector" because of his expertise.
>
>
>
>
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Joshua S. Fouts
> Managing Editor, OJR.org
> Online Journalism Review
> Tel:  +1-213-740-1786
> Fax:  +1-213-740-3772
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++

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