On: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

[aquateen]

How would prosecutors go about that? Going through all his blog posts to look for depression? And that would be standard procedure for everyone they prosecute?

[madaxe → aquateen]

Psychiatric assessment is a routine element of any criminal case. At any rate, it is in the UK.

[foldr → madaxe]

So you're saying that in the UK they don't prosecute people who are depressed? As a Brit, that's news to me.

Come on. This prosecution may be unjust for other reasons, but it's just daft to claim that they should not have prosecuted him because he was depressed.

[madaxe → foldr]

Did I say at any point that depression should exempt someone from prosecution? No. I said their handling was inappropriate.

If someone is a suicide risk you watch them, and typically ensure they're not left alone.

Stick your straw man where the sun don't shine.

[foldr → madaxe]

You think Aaron would have let the DA put him on some kind of suicide watch when he wasn't even in custody?

I don't think you're thinking this through. It's natural to be angry, but the DA didn't do anything wrong in relation to his depression, even if the prosecution was unjust for other reasons.

[madaxe → foldr]

Social care doesn't require custody.

See http://www.mind.org.uk/mental_health_a-z/8042_mental_health_... for an explanation of (in the UK, at least) the rights for those with mental health issues in prosecutorial circumstances.

[foldr → madaxe]

1) This occurred in the US, not the UK.

2) All of that requires the consent of the person involved. Do you think AS would have suddenly decided to accept support because the DA prosecuting his case offered it? If his family and friends couldn't stop his suicide, you think the DA could have done so?

3) Are you sure it is typically the responsibility of the DA to sort that stuff out in the US?