Reading this “digital protest” story at face value makes a justice process sound rather… disproportionate.

Christopher Doyon, also known as “Commander X,” will be sentenced June 28 in U.S. District Court California Northern District. On Tuesday, Doyon appeared before District Judge Beth Labson Freeman to reverse his earlier plea of “not guilty.” The change of course came as part of a plea agreement in which the U.S. Attorney’s Office will recommend a 15-year prison sentence for Doyon, according to court documents. […] Santa Cruz County officials estimated damages to the computer network as a result of the conspiracy at approximately $4,060.

Denial of service isn’t exactly hacking into county services, since it’s more like sleeping on the court steps than walking into court. A fifteen year sentence for damage of less than $5K sure sounds extreme, given how his crimes are being reported.