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Judge in Kim Dotcom trial quits after calling U.S. ‘the enemy’

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:30PM EST
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New Zealand district judge David Harvey has stepped down from his role presiding over accused piracy king Kim Dotcom’s extradition trial after stating publicly that the United Sates is the enemy. “We have met the enemy and he is U.S.,” Harvey said during a discussion about trade talks with the U.S. The judge surrendered his role in the trial voluntarily according to The New Zealand Herald, and the case will now be heard by Judge Nevin Dawson. “[Judge Harvey] recognises that remarks made in the context of a paper he delivered on copyright law at a recent internet conference could reflect on his impartiality and that the appropriate response is for him to step down from the case,” district court chief judge Jan-Marie Doogue said in a statement. Dotcom’s extradition hearing is set to begin in March next year.

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Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.