MEMPHIS, April 19 (UPI) -- Trial is set to begin this week for a student accused of hacking former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's e-mail account during the 2008 campaign, authorities said.
David Kernell was a student at the University of Tennessee when, federal authorities allege, he accessed the e-mail account of Palin, then governor of Alaska running as the Republican vice-presidential nominee, The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported.
Prosecutors allege Kernell used publicly available information about the governor to answer security questions for the account and managed to access and peruse e-mail.
Kernell, the son of longtime Tennessee state Rep. Mike Kernell, a Democrat, has pleaded not guilty to charges including identity theft, wire fraud and obstruction of justice, the newspaper said.
Palin has been subpoenaed by prosecutors to testify at the trial, set to start Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Phillips.
Kernell has put college on hold while he deals with the trial, his father said.
"Anytime someone has been indicted and has the Justice Department after them," the elder Kernell said, "it takes up most of your attention. But he'll be back in school this summer."
