Prosecutors turn down plea deal

Elliot Peters, Swartz’s lawyer, speaks to the Massachusetts attorney’s office to see if a plea bargain could be reached that would reduce prison time and $1million fines that the 26-year-old was facing.

However Mr Peters told the WSJ that Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Heymann was adamant that Swartz must plead guilty to every count and jail time would be required.  Swartz’s lawyer had originally approached federal prosecutors in fall 2012 about a deal and was turned down.