KNOXVILLE: The son of a Democratic Tennessee state lawmaker pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to hacking the e-mail account of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
David Kernell, 20, entered the plea in federal court in Knoxville, the same day prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging him with intentionally accessing Palin's e-mail account without authorisation.
Kernell, an economics student at the University of Tennessee, was brought into court wearing handcuffs and shackles on his ankles. He was released without posting bond, but the court forbade him from owning a computer and limited his Internet use.
David Kernell was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Knoxville and faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
