LA engineers cop to traffic system sabotage

Two traffic engineers for the City of Los Angeles have admitted they illegally disrupted the computer system that controls traffic lights just prior to a 2006 union action related to contract negotiations with the city. Gabriel Murillo, 39, and Kartik Patel, 36, each pleaded guilty to a single felony count of illegally …

[Chris iverson]

Thats it

That explained one reason why the traffic is so bad. or i dunno. Anyway network engineer on Los Angeles looking for a work at home job

[marco]

amateurs

The 'Real Napster' would be disappointed.

[Chris C]

They got off way too light

They willfully, premeditatedly, and maliciously endangered the lives of thousands of people (if not tens of thousands or more), and all they get is a slap on the wrist? And why in the hell should they be able to get a felony conviction reduced to a misdemeanor simply because they complete the "punishment"? Can a murderer do that? No, so why should they be able to? This is nothing more than a mockery of the judicial system.

[Joe K]

Huh?

"Hackers" that don't get insane prison terms in a pound-you-in-the-arse prison?

What the hell?

[Dave]

@Chris C

If these lights were anything like the ones over here, then turning them off should have eased traffic for all concerned. Apparently human beings are collectively more intelligent than a small electronic box.

[Anonymous Coward]

There's hope for McKinnon yet then.

In the land of freedom and justice, no doubt we shall see a comparable sentence for him.

/sarcasm off.

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a better idea

Make them go to London and fix the traffic mess.

[RemoteIntelligence]

Two hours a day?

"the two must ... serve 120 days or 240 hours of community service"

Can I have a job like this?

[Anonymous Coward]

@Chris C

Have you been to LA ?? people there seem to think traffic control device are mere suggestions.

[kain preacher]

There's hope for McKinnon yet then.

Umm they pled out McKinnon didn't.