Comments on: RIP Stephen Posniak

By: Benjamin Bradley

Benjamin Bradley — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:26:18 +0000

I first met Steve Posniak in the late 80’s when he visited the field office in Jackson, Mississippi. He was in the Jackson office to upgrade the security in our computer system. That particular day was the beginning of a reliable relationship with him. And for the next 18 years, I would telephone him a dozen times or more each year with inquiries about our system. Steve was always responsive to my inquiries. He would always responded fully. Many times, he would on his own initiative telephone me with the latest information on computer security. Later the telephone calls turned into e-mails.

I liked and respected Steve because he was knowledgeable, reliable and loved his work with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

By: Andy Moursund

Andy Moursund — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:34:23 +0000

I’d known Steve since we were classmates at Wilson High School, and what this represents is an accident caused by carelessness, turned into a tragedy by Mother Nature, and then compounded a thousandfold by the malicious zeal of a prosecutor.

Steve Posniak was one of the gentlest and most harmless souls I’ve known in my entire life, and what he had to bear over the past year is a bitter reminder of what can happen when unchecked prosecutorial power is—unchecked.

In essence his life was ended because of an accident that could have happened to nearly anyone. I only hope that the people in the U.S. Attorney’s office who were responsible for hounding Steve Posniak to his death can live with themselves for what they’ve done.