Journalist Gets Tsk-Tsk for Computer Crime

(Clark County, Washington) A 54-year-old veteran reporter for The Columbian, Don Hamilton, was accused of attempting to access an ambulance's computer and, subsequently, pleaded guilty before Clark County District Court Judge Rich Melnick to misdemeanor attempted computer trespass in the first degree.

On July 18, Hamilton was covering a SWAT standoff in which a Vancouver police officer had been shot. Hamilton went to Southwest Washington Medical Center, where he found the ambulance that had transported the wounded officer.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Jim David said Hamilton got in the vehicle and looked at its computer screen to try to ascertain the name of the officer or any other information regarding the standoff.

Melnick questioned whether an ambulance employee showed Hamilton how to use the computer.

"I'm curious how he was able to do it," Melnick said.

Defense attorney Steve Thayer said that has been a point of contention.

Thayer said an American Medical Response employee let Hamilton look at the computer. The state, however, would have called witnesses at trial to testify nobody gave Hamilton permission or showed him how to use the computer, Thayer said.

Rather than go to trial on what would have been a felony computer trespass charge, Hamilton opted to take advantage of an offer to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, Thayer said.

Judge Melnick sentenced Hamilton to five days of community service and $347 in fines and fees.