Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon • Hacker News Board

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#771

Post by rhatsgf » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:46 PM UTC

oharapj wrote: post #650

carlmr wrote: post #549

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regarding your edit. The first paragraph kind of lines up with you reading about it. But the second one is kind of confusing, and I think it's because "then" can mean two different things here. You meant "at the time of his arrest". If you casually read it without cross referencing the first paragraphs context, you might think it means "as I was sitting there". And there's nothing in the following sentences that corr…

His writing employs a little bit of poetry in order to capture his feeling. Not all writing benefits from being as clear and bland as possible. HN should probably read some non-fiction books from time to time

I have read at least 1000 European and American novels, play, poetry etc. and never had a single issue.

The comment you refer to is just poorly written.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#772

Post by graemep » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:46 PM UTC

HlessClaudesman wrote: post #688

I_am_tiberius wrote: post #679

I know he wasn't convicted of hiring a hitman, and I know the attempt didn't succeed, but he still tried to kill other people. Moreover, during a Bitcoin conference, he gave a live talk from prison via phone and still lied, claiming they planted the log on his laptop. A full pardon is ridiculous. It's unfair to so many people, including his partners like Variety Jones, also known as Thomas Clark. On the other hand, I…

Actual murderers get out in the time that Ross served. The concept of justice must include an element of proportionality, I would argue that Ross's sentence, for a first time non-violent criminal, was over the top. Without proportionality justice becomes arbitrary, based more on luck and your connections to power. We punish those we can punish: the little guy. Whilst those running governments, corporations and networ…

I once noticed (in the UK) that two people who I read news stories about in the same week got similar sentences. One for breach of copyright, one for sexually assaulting a teenager.

That said, I think Ross did knowingly enable violence?

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#773

Post by xadhominemx » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:49 PM UTC

zik wrote: post #481

rappatic wrote: post #164

I think his original sentence was absolutely deserved—even though the charge of hiring a contract killer to assassinate his business competition may have been dropped, I think it's clear he did many things in the same vein. Even if you support his original pursuit of a free and open online marketplace, I think most people would agree he took it a bridge too far in the end. That said, I do think he absolutely deserved…

They dropped the contract killer charges - it appears that they were fabricated to try to turn public opinion against him and get him jailed. But as soon as they went to trial the charges were dropped for lack of evidence.

They were not fabricated although it may have been challenging to secure a conviction and in any event Ross was going to be sentenced to many decades in prison.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#774

Post by stickfigure » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:49 PM UTC

perihelions wrote: post #704

I_am_tiberius wrote: post #679

I know he wasn't convicted of hiring a hitman, and I know the attempt didn't succeed, but he still tried to kill other people. Moreover, during a Bitcoin conference, he gave a live talk from prison via phone and still lied, claiming they planted the log on his laptop. A full pardon is ridiculous. It's unfair to so many people, including his partners like Variety Jones, also known as Thomas Clark. On the other hand, I…

He did kill people. That factored into his sentencing[0]: the multiple overdose deaths from heroin and other things Ulbricht sold/facilitated/took a cut of the proceeds of. He killed children . - "During the sentencing hearing, Forrest heard from the father of a 25-year-old Boston man who died of a heroin overdose and the mother of a 16-year-old Australian who took a drug designed to mimic LSD at a post-prom party an…

This is so stupid. By this standard, automobile manufacturers kill 44,000 people in the US every year, including countless children. 3,500-4,500 people in the US are murdered by swimming pool contractors every year.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#775

Post by sys32768 » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:52 PM UTC

I wish this thread were discussing how in America you can get drunk in a bar, step into a 4,000 motorized bullet, kill someone or an entire family, and get a slap on the wrist.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#776

Post by Nevermark » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:54 PM UTC

alwa wrote: post #426

wolfgang42 wrote: post #173

Tangentially related: I had the disconcerting experience of reading a Wired article about his arrest[1] while unknowingly sitting about six feet from the spot where he was apprehended. When I read that the FBI agents had stopped at Bello Coffee while preparing their stakeout, I thought, huh, interesting coincidence, I just had a coffee there. Then Ulbricht walked into the public library and sat down at the table dire…

Just as an additional datapoint, since I’m confused by fellow commenters’ confusion—I thought your narrative was clear, colorful, and entertaining, and I hope you’ll keep things so literary and engaging in your future contributions too :) As with so many matters of crime, punishment, and high dudgeon, the physical reality of the situation always feels so banal. Dread Pirate Roberts’ lawless dark kingdom, where he com…

Until you looked over his shoulder at his Bitcoin account balance rising dramatically in real time.

Huge amounts of income can even make something as boring as an online digital scrapbook tech sexy.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#777

Post by busymom0 » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:54 PM UTC

perihelions wrote: post #704

I_am_tiberius wrote: post #679

I know he wasn't convicted of hiring a hitman, and I know the attempt didn't succeed, but he still tried to kill other people. Moreover, during a Bitcoin conference, he gave a live talk from prison via phone and still lied, claiming they planted the log on his laptop. A full pardon is ridiculous. It's unfair to so many people, including his partners like Variety Jones, also known as Thomas Clark. On the other hand, I…

He did kill people. That factored into his sentencing[0]: the multiple overdose deaths from heroin and other things Ulbricht sold/facilitated/took a cut of the proceeds of. He killed children . - "During the sentencing hearing, Forrest heard from the father of a 25-year-old Boston man who died of a heroin overdose and the mother of a 16-year-old Australian who took a drug designed to mimic LSD at a post-prom party an…

Other than the fact that he was not a drug dealer and other criticism others have already pointed out, Carnegie Mellon University's researchers did an analysis of Silk Road gathering data on a daily basis for eight months before it was shut down. Some of their findings include:

> “‘Weed’ (i.e., marijuana) is the most popular item on Silk Road” (p.8)

> “The quantities being sold are generally rather small (e.g., a few grams of marijuana)” (p.12)

https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/nicolasc/publications/TR-CMU...

2+ life sentences for a website which sold weed is just outrageous. Also note that since 2012, people have become a LOT softer on weed and even other drugs have been legalized since then. Trump himself has said that he has friends who have benefitted from weed.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#778

Post by ttyprintk » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:56 PM UTC

SamPatt wrote: post #314

bb88 wrote: post #68

Genuine question: Of all the people to pardon, why him?

It's because of his mother Lyn. She was a tireless advocate for his release from the start, and it became a part of the libertarian cause to see him released. It worked. Trump courted the libertarian vote, and this was his most popular promise to them. She's an inspiring woman. I'm so glad she lived to see this.

Someone with that dedication can now move on to remedying the damage done by a free-for-all gun marketplace.

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#779

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:59 PM UTC

lvl155 wrote: post #686

rnernento wrote: post #660

In 2021, Ulbricht's prosecutors and defense agreed that Ulbricht would relinquish any ownership of a newly discovered fund of 50,676 Bitcoin (worth nearly $5.35 billion in 2025) seized from a hacker in November 2021.[78] The Bitcoin had been stolen from Silk Road in 2013 and Ulbricht had been unsuccessful in getting them back. The U.S. government traced and seized the stolen Bitcoin. Ulbricht and the government agree…

Bingo. US always has been about commerce and money. It wouldn’t shock me if Ross has at least a few million hidden in some “lost wallet” printed out in a vault some where. He was smart enough to know he would get caught one day.

[deleted]

Re: Ross Ulbricht granted a full pardon

#780

Post by canjobear » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

constantcrying wrote: post #722

Here is what the discussion looked like almost a decade ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9626985 Very striking to see how the sentiment has drastically shifted, while the facts of the case did not. There is a really cultural shift visible in how this issue is seen on here.

It seems like the same set of arguments to me.