

Snowden Lawyers Say He Is Ready to Return to U.S - rosenjon
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/03/politics/snowden-ready-to-return-to-united-states/

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joezydeco
No. Nothing has changed.

[https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/03/04/snowden-
wants-...](https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/03/04/snowden-wants-come-
home-stories-case-study-media-deceit/)

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Gustomaximus
> Snowden also wants a guarantee of a "legal and impartial trial."

How would you guarantee impartial? I can't see this happening in the
foreseeable future. I guess that he would need the support of the masses to
encourage politicians to offer carrot over stick, something not there.

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rosenjon
I think what he's pushing for is the ability to present any defense that he
likes. Under certain statutes, you cannot raise a public interest defense. I
believe the Espionage Act is one such statute. You cannot present a defense
that is irrelevant to the commission of the crime, and under the Espionage Act
it is the release of the information, regardless of intent, that is the crime.
See here: [http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2013/08/09/obama-falsely-
su...](http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2013/08/09/obama-falsely-suggests-
snowden-could-mount-public-interest-defense-in-federal-court/)

Venue shopping would obviously help him (ie Silicon Valley vs Arlington,
Virginia). However, I think what he's pushing for is to be able to raise the
illegality of the programs the government was hiding from the public (and
lying about before Congress). It is not at all clear that this type of
evidence would be allowed, and is pretty important for how a jury would
construe his actions.

