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Assange, Extradition and Unique Opportunities

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Julian Assange gestures to the media from a police vehicle on his arrival at Westminster Magistrates court on April 11, 2019 in London, England. After weeks of speculation Wikileaks found... LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Julian Assange gestures to the media from a police vehicle on his arrival at Westminster Magistrates court on April 11, 2019 in London, England. After weeks of speculation Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was arrested by Scotland Yard Police Officers inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in Central London this morning. Ecuador's President, Lenin Moreno, withdrew Assange's Asylum after seven years citing repeated violations to international conventions. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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April 12, 2019 9:47 a.m.
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As I noted yesterday, we still don’t know the fullness of what is happening to Julian Assange in the US legal system. He’s charged with what is essentially a hacking conspiracy. That’s much more legitimate than trying to charge him with publishing classified information. But it also seems like more charges are potentially in store. Those could potentially trample over these bright lines between things that are fairly straightforward crimes (hacking) and others that are much more like journalism (whether or not we consider Assange himself to be a journalist). So to me the jury is really still what is happening and whether it’s legitimate.

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