As I see it these ridiculous charges and the outrageous penalties the prosecutors brought against Aaron Swartz have a very sinister aspect to them. First another nitwit bureaucratic prosecutor saw an opportunity to make a "name" for him/her-self and further their career at the expense of a highly talented and innovative person who was actively standing up for what he believed in. But the most sinister aspect is the government once more jumping into areas they have no business getting involved in. This case could have set legal precedents that would have been used to undermine the freedoms we all currently enjoy on the Internet. It has probably already set a certain level of fear within the Information Freedom Community that could give activists like Aaron second thoughts about furthering their ideas . . . which I believe is a violation of the First Amendment rights.