[tzs]

No one tried to slap him with 35 years in prison. If the prosecution was able to win on all counts, and convince the court that Swartz had caused a very high amount of monetary damages, he was looking at around 7 years.

See Orin Kerr's detailed look at the charges and the possible sentences at [1].

If he opted for a plea bargain, he was looking at 3 months.

[1] http://www.volokh.com/2013/01/16/the-criminal-charges-agains...

[tptacek]

(Broken record) Swartz's own lawyer believed that had he opted to go to trial and lost, he still mightn't have received a custodial sentence.