The guy who gained illegal access to Sarah Palin’s email address has been indicted by a grand jury.

David C. Kernell can stay out of jail for now as long as he stays off his computer.

The University of Tennessee student, who is the son of a Memphis legislator, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of hacking Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s personal e-mail.

Kernell, 20, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Knoxville for intentionally accessing without authorization the e-mail account of Palin, the governor of Alaska and Sen. John McCain’s running mate, according to U.S. Attorney James R. Dedrick.

Look for massive liberal indignation and outrage that this poor young soul would be attacked so viciously by the “establishment” just for the “prank” of “hacking” Sarah Palin’s email. Again, just as when the story broke, look for Sarah Palin to be the target of the media and for Kernell to be painted as the idealist “victim” who was just trying to save the world from the oppression and bigotry of mean old Sarah Palin.

If nothing else, Kernell now has a lifetime career as a liberal martyr alongside Ward Churchill and Cindy Sheehan. No doubt he’ll turn that into a lucrative career.

Daddy (a Democrat state legislator in Tennessee) must be so proud.

Also… note how Sarah Palin is clearly identified as “Republican” but Kernell’s father is a mysteriously unaffiliated “Memphis legislator.” Nothing to see here. Move along. These aren’t the Democrat operatives you’re looking for…