A Rochester Hills man charged with a 5-year felony for reading his wife’s email pledged today to take the matter to the state’s highest court after a lower court refused to dismiss the charge.
In a written opinion released this morning, the Michigan Court of Appeals rule that Leon Walker should proceed to trial on charges that he gained unlawful access to his then-wife Clara Walker’s Gmail account in the summer of 2009.
His 2010 arrest prompted widespread outrage and a national debate about computer privacy in the marital home. But in today’s decision, the three-member appellate panel said Michigan’s computer hacking law has “no spousal exception,” and the law as written applies to Walker’s case. The judges also noted discussions in Michigan’s legislature to amend the law to exclude spouses.
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