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Comment by mikestew | Hacker News Reader

It’s still a flimsy basis for the case. He didn’t attend the protest nor even knew about it. The motivation wasn’t proven, it’s all in the prosecution’s head for all we know.

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And even so, why on Earth would tampering with evidence warrant 30 years in prison? That is inhumane.

I would think that a coverup should always be treated as slightly worse than the thing being covered up. Because of general "don't design systems with perverse incentives" principles.

The thing being covered up here is being in the general area when someone else committed a crime. I'm not seeing how 30 years lines up with slightly worse than that.

Only in the case that you can prove both thing and intent to cover up thing beyond a reasonable doubt. And in that case since you've got both convictions then covering it up only needs to carry a small penalty (relative to thing).

If you don't have to prove thing then you end up with a situation where all sorts of mundane actions can be construed as covering something up.

What is the thing being covered up that is worth 30 years in prison?

"Prosecutors said that the group launched a premeditated terror attack on the detention facility inspired by antifa ideology, by setting off fireworks, vandalizing property, and shooting at police officers who responded. One officer was struck in the neck with a bullet and survived."

https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/ice-detention-attack-defe...

They aren't a cop.

I guess Guilt By Association is the law of the land once a cop is shot.

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