February 15, 2013
Lawyer representing Hammond asks judge to step back
Attorneys representing accused Anonymous member and political activist Jeremy Hammond has requested that the judge presiding over his case recuse herself due to a conflict of interest, according to reports. Hammond, who has pleaded innocent to charges that he helped hack the Arizona Department of Public Safety in June 2011 and global intelligence firm Stratfor six months later, has been held in a New York prison without bail since last March. Hammond's attorney, Elizabeth Fink, is urging U.S. District Court Judge Loretta Preska to step down because her husband may have been a Stratfor customer. Preska is scheduled to hold a hearing on the matter next week. Hammond faces up to 42 years in prison if convicted. A support website has been set up for Hammond.
