Idaho court confiscates software developer’s computer because he ‘likes hacking’

Yeah. There's a minor problem with the court misunderstanding the sense in which the guy's website uses the term hacker, but it's really tangential to the case itself.

Sure you can. The court has deemed the risk to be: he can release the code, and he can use channels or means that obfuscate that he released the code. If he announced it, and it were deemed criminal (theft or whatever) charges or civil suits would be more easily brought against him. If he wants to avoid that risk, but still release it, he (by the court's judgement) has that capability.