COURT TV

[Retired Fly Boy]

Anybody watching the murder trial of Michael Peterson in Durham,NC? He is on trial for killing his wife. During the case it comes out, he is in constant contact with gay male escorts. The police took his computer under court order. They found e mails to this particular escort in North Carolina. The judge did allow the e mails to be read in open court. They even had the escort on the stand, a former Marine.The District Attorney told the jury how many hits his computer had to gay porn sites. Click on the Court TV link and then click on Trials. If you think your e mail is private, guess again.

[guyinsf]

This guy's "right to privacy" has been infringed upon because there is sufficient evidence to try him for murder. The emails are not coming into evidence because the defendant is on trial for hiring a male escort. I don't think that what's happening in this case can be generalized to the rest of us here.

[axebahia]

This one caught my eye:

 

"Thursday, Aug. 30, 2001, 11:06 p.m.

 

Brad,

 

We talked on the phone yesterday and I checked out the website you gave me. You have great reviews and I would liketo [sic] get together with you. I'm in Durham, just off 15/501, about 10 minutes from Chapel Hill..."

 

Is this the review site referred to in the email? Did anyone here ever see this student/marine/escort in NC called Brad?

[Guest YFSC]

>This guy's "right to privacy" has been infringed upon because

>there is sufficient evidence to try him for murder. The

>emails are not coming into evidence because the defendant is

>on trial for hiring a male escort. I don't think that what's

>happening in this case can be generalized to the rest of us

>here.

 

I think the point was that your "private" emails regarding hiring escorts or anything else can become public when your computer comes under a search warrant or becomes "evidence" for any reason, including ones totally unrelated to hiring. It's not related to whether he is on trial for hiring, or for murder, or for whatever else. It can presumably also happen in a civil case.

[axebahia]

>This guy's "right to privacy" has been infringed upon because

>there is sufficient evidence to try him for murder.

 

As I understand it, the prosecution says it goes to motive. He wanted to dump his wife because he liked boys. He claims he was just researching a novel. It also rebutts his claims that he was "happilly married".