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What I don't get is why the police had to wake them up with a gun pointed to his head. Is this standard procedure for hackers, or criminals in general? Is it because some time ago it was decided that hackers are terrorists?

Suppose I cheated on my taxes (which I would of course never do, but I think many people consider that fair game), would the police also wake me with a gun pointed at my head?

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Well, Mitnick was kept in solitary because they were afraid he could start a nuclear exchange if given access to a phone. I think a bit of paranoia is common procedure for hackers because what they do seems like magic to most people.

As for the taxes, that's entirely dependent on your behavior. There have definitely been stand-offs between tax protesters and armed law enforcement personnel.

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