Heckenkamp Jailed at Court Appearance
Source: Security Focus
Accused eBay hacker Jerome Heckenkamp is back behind bars tonight, after his first solo court appearance in front of his trial judge took an odd turn.
During what was to be a routine proceeding to set future court dates, Heckenkamp challenged the indictment against him on the grounds that it spells his name, Jerome T. Heckenkamp, in all capital letters, while he spells it with the first letter capitalized, and subsequent letters in lower case.
Last week, Heckenkamp, 22, fired attorney Jennifer Granick, and co-counsel Marjorie Allard, in order to personally defend himself against two federal grand jury indictments charging that he cracked computers at eBay, Lycos, Exodus Communications, and other companies in 1999. It was the second time Heckenkamp fired his lawyers -- in January, he had a federal magistrate appoint him as his own counsel, only to change his mind the same day.
At Monday's appearance, Judge James Ware seemed initially perplexed by Heckenkamp's challenge, and spent some time explaining the nature of the proceedings. Finally, he advised Heckenkamp to take it up in front of a jury when he goes to trial. "I cannot help but comment that you have substituted out a capable attorney," the judge added.
